A few weeks ago, Iván Velásquez and Víctor Osores, obtained the highest academic degree by successfully passing -both with the highest grade- their respective thesis exams of the Doctoral Program in Applied Sciences with a minor in Mathematical Engineering of Universidad de Concepción, UdeC, both works developed under the direction of researchers from the Center for Research in Mathematical Engineering, CI²MA.

Velásquez developed the thesis Virtual Element Methods for Problems in Solid Mechanics guided by academicians Carlos Lovadina (Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy), David Mora (CI²MA and Universidad del Bío-Bío), and Rodolfo Rodríguez (CI²MA and UdeC), Doctorate director. “In the thesis that I developed, several methods of H² compliant virtual elements were analyzed and applied, built with few degrees of freedom and easy to implement in general polygonal meshes, to solve linear and nonlinear fourth-order problems that arise in mechanics of solids. More precisely, theoretical and numerical results of the virtual element methods applied to the vibration and buckling problems of the Kirchhoff plates, for the von Kármán plate problem and the transmission own values ​​problem were provided”, he details about his research contents.

On the other hand, Osores explains that “in my thesis, multilayer models are presented for shallow waters coupled with polydispersed sedimentation models capable of simulating this process in different scenarios. Although the results obtained in this thesis have to do with sedimentation processes in controlled domains, they can also be used in water recovery and sediment transport in rivers or estuaries. We have considered sediment compression effects, viscosity of the mixture and, currently, we are working on an extension to the non-hydrostatic framework in order to obtain simulations increasingly closer to reality”. The thesis called Multilayer Shallow Water System for Polydispersed Sedimentation: Theory, Numerical Analysis and Applications was directed by our Subdirector Raimund Bürger (CI²MA and UdeC) and Enrique Fernández-Nieto (Universidad de Sevilla, Spain).

Regarding the experience as a student of this UdeC postgraduate program, Iván comments that “taking the doctorate has been the best decision I have taken in professional life. Even more when my studies were financed by the CONICYT scholarship and also by CI²MA, allowing me to work the thesis in excellent facilities, with sufficient office materials, management and financial support to attend congresses and summer schools”. In the same way, Victor explains that “my experience as a student of this doctoral program was always good, I am very grateful to CI²MA, because it has always supplied the tools, spaces and support to all who are part of this group of work. I understand that this UdeC postgraduate program leaves us very well prepared to face challenges in both teaching and research. No need to look any further for seeing that many of the students who graduate from the program have managed to enter national and foreign universities, becoming quality exponents in their respective areas”, he points out.

About the immediate future, Victor emphasizes that “my projections from now on, or at least what I hope, is to be able to insert myself in a university or in a research center, mixing teaching and research. I also have the idea of ​​achieving a national postdoctoral degree in the short term. And open to consider every opportunity that comes into my way”. Iván, on his side, affirms that “for the moment, I am carrying out research activities in the Virtual Elements Methods under the postdoctoral fellow at CI²MA, with funding from Basal Project AFB 170001. The idea is to continue conducting research in the area of ​​Numerical Analysis, whether I am able to apply a full-time job in a university or in a post doctorate program”.