Counselors Fernando Alba Andrade
| Fernando Alba Andrade |
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 He was born in Mexico City in 1919. He was admitted to the Escuela Nacional de Ingeniería and the Facultad de Ciencias [National School of Engineering and the Faculty of Science] of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) [National Autonomous University of Mexico], in order to simultaneously study Engineering and Physics. He obtained the first degree in Physics awarded by the UNAM. He continued his doctoral studies at the Facultad de Ciencias, and was also awarded the first Doctorate Degree in physics by the UNAM. At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) he supervised the construction of the first particle accelerator, and installed the first one in Mexico, the 2-MV Van de Graaff, at the CU campus. Dr. Fernando Alba Andrade is a former head of the Departmento de Física of the Facultad de Ciencias [Physics Department of the Faculty of Science]. He is a Researcher Emeritus of the Instituto de Física [Physics Institute] of the UNAM and of the Sistema Nacional de Investigadores (SNI) [National Researcher System]. Among his most important research topics are the reactions of light nuclear isotopes, with the 2-MV Van de Graaff accelerator designing and building the necessary equipment. He conducted research on neutron scattering by heavy elements, including an extensive series of measurements of the effective cross sections of neutrons. In addition, he was instrumental in the initiation of a laboratory to detect charged particles, participating in an international program on "radioactive rain" caused by nuclear testing. Along with Marcos Mazari and Luis Velásquez, Dr. Fernando Alba Andrade is regarded a global pioneer on the analysis of materials utilizing ion beam techniques. He is a former president of the Comisión Nacional de Energía Nuclear, National Nuclear Energy Commission and the first Director del Instituto Nacional de Energía Nuclear (INEN), [National Institute of Nuclear Energy]. Served as governor representing Mexico before the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). A past member of the Governing Board of the UNAM and of the Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Óptica y Electrónica [National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics]. He served as head of the Instituto de Física [Physics Institute], and is a member of the Consejo Consultivo de Ciencias de la Presidencia de la República (CCC) [Science Consulting Council of the President’s Office]. Dr. Alba has been a Visiting Researcher at MIT; presided over the Sociedad Mexicana de Física [Mexican Physics Society], and the Academia de la Investigación Científica [Academy of Scientific Research]. He won the Premio de Ciencia y Tecnología [Science and Technology Prize] of the Banco Nacional de México (Industrial Field); the Premio Nacional de Ciencias y Artes [National Award for Science and Arts] and the Premio Universidad Nacional [National University Prize]. The Instituto de Física [Physics Institute] of the UNAM created an award bearing his name, "Medalla Fernando Alba" [Fernando Alba Medal], to recognize scientific experimental research in Mexico. Dr. Alba has published dozens of technical books expounding his ideas and technical designs of instruments for nuclear, vacuum and energy research and education. His extensive and valuable scientific production in international journals places him as an outstanding pioneer of Mexican science on the subject.
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