Javier Ruiz-del-Solar | Environments | Best Researcher Award

Prof. Javier Ruiz-del-Solar |  Environments | Best Researcher Award

Universidad de Chile,  Chile

Prof. Javier Ruiz-del-Solar S. (b. April 23, 1968) is a Full Professor at the Department of Electrical Engineering and Director of the Advanced Mining Technology Center at the Universidad de Chile. A Chilean national, he earned his Doctor-Engineer degree from the Technical University of Berlin, Germany (1997), following a Master’s and Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering from Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Chile.

Profile:

🎓 Education:

  • 🧠 Doctor-Engineer – Technical University Berlin, Germany (1997)

  • M.Sc. in Electrical Engineering – Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Chile (1992)

  • 🔌 Electrical Engineer – Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Chile (1991)

🏆 Selected Awards & Honors:

  • 🏅 Member, Chilean Academy of Engineering (since 2009)

  • 🏆 Best Paper Awards – RoboCup Symposium (2004, 2015, 2017)

  • 🤖 RoboCup @Home Innovation Awards (2007, 2008)

  • 🎤 Distinguished Lecturer, IEEE RAS (2008–2009)

  • 👨‍🏫 Best Teacher Award, Universidad de Chile (2007)

🤖 Research Interests:

  • Robotics & Autonomous Systems

  • Mining Technology

  • Deep Learning & Artificial Intelligence

🔬 Professional Activities:

  • 📚 Academic Accreditation: Comisionado, Comisión Nacional de Acreditación (CNA) (2010–2016)

  • 🛠️ Chairman, IEEE Latin American Robotics Council (2003–present)

  • 📝 Editorial Roles:

    • Journal of Intelligent and Robotic Systems – Associate Editor (2008–2017)

    • IEEE Trans. on Cognitive and Developmental Systems – Associate Editor (2017–2023)

    • Journal of Field Robotics – Advisory Board Member (2022–2024)

🎓 Ph.D. Thesis Supervision (Selected, 2014–2024):

Guided diverse theses in robotics, AI, and mining tech, including:

  • 👕 Recognition of clothing using continuous perception

  • 🧠 Brain-computer interfaces

  • 🤖 Multi-agent reinforcement learning

  • 🛻 Autonomous vehicle environment mapping

  • ⛏️ Geometallurgical unit discovery (Mining)

📚 Teaching (2014–2024):

Led numerous undergraduate and graduate courses, including:

  • 💡 Inteligencia Computacional

  • 🖼️ Procesamiento Avanzado de Imágenes

  • 🤖 Seminario de Robótica y Sistemas Autónomos

  • 🛠️ Diseño e Innovación Tecnológica I, II, III

  • 🧪 Tópicos Especiales en Minería

📈 Citation Metrics:

  • Cited by:

    • All time: 5,930 citations

    • Since 2020: 1,958 citations

  • h-index:

    • All time: 38

    • Since 2020: 25

  • i10-index:

    • All time: 143

    • Since 2020: 59

Publication Top Notes:

  1. Eigenspace-based face recognition: A comparative study of different approaches
    J. Ruiz-del-Solar, P. Navarrete
    IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics, Part C: Applications and Reviews, 2005.
    247 citations

  2. Recognition of faces in unconstrained environments: A comparative study
    J. Ruiz-del-Solar, R. Verschae, M. Correa
    EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing, 2009, Article ID 1–19.
    179 citations

  3. Illumination compensation and normalization in eigenspace-based face recognition: A comparative study of different pre-processing approaches
    J. Ruiz-del-Solar, J. Quinteros
    Pattern Recognition Letters, 29(14), 1966–1979, 2008.
    171 citations

  4. Real-time hand gesture detection and recognition using boosted classifiers and active learning
    H. Francke, J. Ruiz-del-Solar, R. Verschae
    In: Advances in Image and Video Technology: Second Pacific Rim Symposium, PSIVT 2007.
    141 citations

  5. Object recognition using local invariant features for robotic applications: A survey
    P. Loncomilla, J. Ruiz-del-Solar, L. Martínez
    Pattern Recognition, 60, 499–514, 2016.
    136 citations

  6. A comparative study of thermal face recognition methods in unconstrained environments
    G. Hermosilla, J. Ruiz-del-Solar, R. Verschae, M. Correa
    Pattern Recognition, 45(7), 2445–2459, 2012.
    135 citations

  7. Skin detection using neighborhood information
    J. Ruiz-del-Solar, R. Verschae
    In: 6th IEEE International Conference on Automatic Face and Gesture Recognition, 2004.
    124 citations

  8. RoboCup@Home: Analysis and results of evolving competitions for domestic and service robots
    L. Iocchi, D. Holz, J. Ruiz-del-Solar, K. Sugiura, T. Van Der Zant
    Artificial Intelligence, 229, 258–281, 2015.
    118 citations

  9. Offline signature verification using local interest points and descriptors
    J. Ruiz-del-Solar, C. Devia, P. Loncomilla, F. Concha
    In: Iberoamerican Congress on Pattern Recognition, 22–29, 2008.
    118 citations

  10. Robotics courses for children as a motivation tool: The Chilean experience
    J. Ruiz-del-Solar, R. Avilés
    IEEE Transactions on Education, 47(4), 474–480, 2004.
    117 citations

 

Silas Ochieng | Climate Change | Best Researcher Award

Mr Silas Ochieng | Climate Change |  Best Researcher Award

Monitoring, Evaluation, Research & Learning Director at  DT Global,  Kenya

Silas Ochieng, a Kenyan national, is a seasoned Market Systems Development and Evaluations Practitioner with over 16 years of experience. He specializes in designing and implementing programs in financial inclusion, resilience programming, value chain development, and climate change adaptation.

Profile:

Education:

  • Ph.D. in Socio-Economics (February 2020 – Present)
    Maseno University
    Research Topic: Influence of Covariate Shocks on Determinants of Resilience Capacities Among Rural Fishing and Aquaculture Households in Kenya.
  • M.Sc. Research Methods and Applied Statistics (August 2009 – December 2011)
    Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology
    Thesis: Climate Change Adaptation and Food Security Status in East Africa: A Comparative Study of Kenya, Uganda, and Ethiopia.
  • B.Sc. Agriculture (2004 – 2009)
    Moi University

Professional Experience:

Director – Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (Deputy Chief of Party)

DT Global, Somalia (September 2022 – Present)

  • Managed the $65M MSD-Inclusive Resilience in Somalia (IRiS) program, focusing on fisheries, livestock, and agriculture.
  • Developed and implemented the Activity Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Plan (AMELP).
  • Ensured quality assurance for program deliverables and led learning events and strategic reviews.

Regional Monitoring & Results Measurement Manager

NIRAS Africa (FCDO Funded) – Uganda, Malawi, Nepal (June 2019 – August 2022)

  • Designed MEL systems for the $32M Commercial Agriculture for Smallholders and Agribusiness program.
  • Developed business plans for six value chains across three countries.
  • Led data management, quality assurance, and adaptation learning sessions.

Monitoring & Results Measurement Manager

Development Alternatives Inc. (DAI), Somalia (January 2015 – April 2019)

  • Delivered the $16M Promoting Inclusive Markets in Somalia (PIMS) program.
  • Achieved consecutive high ratings (A) in annual reviews.

Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation Manager

FSD Kenya (USAID Funded) (February 2012 – December 2015)

  • Designed and implemented value chain finance strategies.
  • Led FinaAccess surveys and data monitoring systems.

Certifications & Training:

  • Market Systems Development Programming – Springfields, Bangkok (July 2018)
  • Inclusive Markets Training – Swiss Contact (April 2019)
  • DCED Standards for Results Measurement – MDF, Netherlands (August – September 2017)
  • Outcome Mapping/Outcome Harvesting – Outcome Mapping Community, Nairobi (April 2023)
  • Applied Statistics – University of Reading (July 2010)
  • Trainer of Trainers in Agricultural Value Chain Financing – FAO UN (April 2013)

Key Skills:

  • Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Systems
  • Market Systems Development Programming
  • Mixed Methods Program Evaluation (Outcome Mapping, Outcome Harvesting)
  • Database Development and Mobile/Web-Based Monitoring Tools (SurveyCTO, ODK, CommCare, Kobo Toolbox)
  • Value for Money Measurement
  • Theory of Change, Log Frame, and Results Chain Development

Professional Affiliations:

  • Member, Global BEAM Exchange
  • Contributor, DCED Forums for Results Measurement
  • Member, Market Systems Resilience Community of Practice

Citations Overview:

  • Total Citations: 1,984
  • Citations Since 2020: 1,182
  • h-index: 20 (16 since 2020)
  • i10-index: 27 (18 since 2020)

Publication Top Notes:

  • The uptake of the ecosystem services concept in planning discourses of European and American cities
    R. Hansen, N. Frantzeskaki, T. McPhearson, E. Rall, N. Kabisch, …
    Ecosystem Services, 12, 228–246 (2015)357 citations
  • Key insights for the future of urban ecosystem services research
    P. Kremer, Z. Hamstead, D. Haase, T. McPhearson, N. Frantzeskaki, …
    Ecology and Society, 21 (2) (2016)260 citations
  • Waste picker organizations and their contribution to the circular economy: Two case studies from a global south perspective
    J. Gutberlet, S. Carenzo, J.H. Kain, A. Mantovani Martiniano de Azevedo
    Resources, 6 (4), 52 (2017)147 citations
  • Ecosystem services in urban land use planning: Integration challenges in complex urban settings—Case of Stockholm
    A. Kaczorowska, J.H. Kain, J. Kronenberg, D. Haase
    Ecosystem Services, 22, 204–212 (2016)144 citations
  • Beyond residential segregation: A spatiotemporal approach to examining multi-contextual segregation
    Y.M. Park, M.P. Kwan
    Computers, Environment and Urban Systems, 71, 98–108 (2018)106 citations
  • Management of complex knowledge in planning for sustainable development: The use of multi-criteria decision aids
    J.H. Kain, H. Söderberg
    Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 28 (1), 7–21 (2008)97 citations
  • Bridging weak links of solid waste management in informal settlements
    J. Gutberlet, J.H. Kain, B. Nyakinya, M. Oloko, P. Zapata, M.J. Zapata Campos
    The Journal of Environment & Development, 26 (1), 106–131 (2017)88 citations
  • Exploring local consequences of two land-use alternatives for the supply of urban ecosystem services in Stockholm year 2050
    J.H. Kain, N. Larondelle, D. Haase, A. Kaczorowska
    Ecological Indicators, 70, 615–629 (2016)77 citations
  • Socio-environmental entrepreneurship and the provision of critical services in informal settlements
    J. Gutberlet, J.H. Kain, B. Nyakinya, D.H. Ochieng, N. Odhiambo, M. Oloko, …
    Environment and Urbanization, 28 (1), 205–222 (2016)66 citations
  • Using role-playing games to broaden engineering education
    J.R. McConville, S. Rauch, I. Helgegren, J.H. Kain
    International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 18 (4), 594–607 (2017)61 citations