American Chemical Society Honors IPN Researcher Dr. Pedro Francisco Rodríguez Espinosa

The prestigious Scientific Research Award recognizes three decades of pioneering geohydrological studies on groundwater filtration and pollution across Mexico.

The American Chemical Society (ACS) has presented its prestigious Scientific Research Award (Premio a la Investigación Científica) to Dr. Pedro Francisco Rodríguez Espinosa, researcher, professor, and Director of the Interdisciplinary Research Center for Environment and Development (Centro Interdisciplinario de Investigaciones y Estudios sobre Medio Ambiente y Desarrollo, CIIEMAD) at the Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN).

The distinction recognizes Dr. Rodríguez Espinosa's contributions to the study of groundwater filtration dynamics, with a primary research focus on the Atoyac River Basin spanning the states of Puebla and Tlaxcala. International Scientific Recognition

The award was presented on August 24 by Dr. Alexander Orlov, Chair of the ACS Environmental Division, during the ACS Fall Meeting held at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Orlov commended the Mexican scientist’s 30-year career dedicated to physicochemical water analysis and geohydrology, noting that his research findings have been widely published in leading peer-reviewed journals such as the Journal of Hydrology and Physics and Chemistry of the Earth.

With this award, Dr. Rodríguez Espinosa became the sole Mexican Polytechnic researcher to earn this international distinction among more than 5,000 environmental specialists and nearly 11,700 registered professionals attending the conference.

As part of the honor, the Geoenvironmental Studies (Hydrology) section of the ACS hosted the Symposium in Honor of Professor Pedro F. Rodríguez Espinosa. During the event, international experts gathered to examine critical topics, including:

1- Water conservation, remediation, and advanced treatment technologies

2. Chemical and hydrological basin processes

3. Evidence-based public policies for global water preservation and management

Impact on Environmental Policy and Research

Dr. Rodríguez Espinosa, who holds a Level II ranking in Mexico's National System of Researchers and Research Fellows (Sistema Nacional de Investigadoras e Investigadores, SNII) under the Physical-Mathematical Sciences and Earth Sciences division, expressed deep satisfaction with the accolade, highlighting that it reflects decades of collaborative effort with his research team.

He recalled that his interest in water chemistry began early in his career and has since grown into a critical global priority driven by climate change. Detailed geohydrological data, he emphasized, provides essential technical frameworks for local, state, and federal governments to formulate effective public health and sanitation policies.

Prior International Distinction

This award follows previous international honors received by the researcher. At the International Congress for Research Excellence 2024 (ICRE 24) held in Trichy, India, the Asia Research Awards presented Dr. Rodríguez Espinosa with the International Best Researcher Award in Environmental Management. The distinction recognized his publication on coastal dynamics, "Evolution of the southern Mexican Pacific coast: responses to meteo-oceanographic and physiographical conditions," published in Regional Studies in Marine Science (Vol. 47, 2021).