Colombian researcher Irene Vélez-Torres from the Universidad del Valle (Univalle) works with research groups in the United States and Europe to improve the lives of communities in southwestern Colombia, particularly on the issue of detecting mercury contamination.
In October, Vélez-Torres, Titular Professor of the School of Natural Resources and Environmental Engineering (EIDENAR) at Univalle, completed a transdisciplinary project in the United States, via a Fulbright scholarship.This story is the last part of our series of articles showing the work of female research leaders from the Faculty of Engineering, in honor of Univalle Engineering Week 2021.
The project is called “Bridging Action Research and Citizen Science in the Monitoring of Mercury Contamination in Settings of Illegal Gold Mining in Colombia” and was focused on solving a serious problem: how to unite mining communities in understanding and solving pollution problems.
One of her findings in this research path was to find that the environmental authorities in Cauca, Colombia, have used an outdated and insufficient model to measure the impact of exposure to mercury.
According to the Colombian Environment Ministry, Mercury, which is used in artisanal gold mining, and causes central and peripheral nervous system problems in humans, such as tremors, difficulties in movement, headaches, among others.
Vélez-Torres and her team used the technology, analysis tools and experts in the US, especially in partnership with Clemson University in South Carolina.
"I brought the data collected with my team at Univalle, and during my PostDoc we discussed the subject in depth and advanced in an interdisciplinary analysis," explained Vélez Torres.
Although her time in the US is over, Vélez-Torres said the hope is to publish the analysis to capture a much clearer picture of the stage of mercury contamination in this region of Colombia where the samples were taken, as well as the challenges related to environmental governance.
READ MORE: EIDENAR professor wins a Fulbright Colombia scholarship
Vélez-Torres is one of 800 professors and professionals from Colombia who receive Fulbright Scholar scholarships for advanced research in the United States.
Working in the Community
For many people, when they think of research on social problems, they think exclusively of social researchers, and they do not think of engineering as a perspective that helps to understand and solve these problems.
“My background is in human and social sciences, but I do my transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary work with an emphasis on marginalized communities, precisely to look for the ways in which we can use biology, social sciences and engineering to solve problems in the best way,” Velez-Torres said.
Professor Vélez-Torres says this way of working is within the DNA of EIDENAR.
"In addition to excellent engineering researchers, we have economists, lawyers, biologists and architects in our School."
"It is very difficult to respond to social and community needs," explained Professor Vélez-Torres, adding that it is not easy for engineers to be on the social side because the tradition of university programs closely linking their engineering development to the needs of the industrial sector.
"It is difficult to get out of this way of thinking, and this is a challenge that is not exclusive to Colombia but I also saw it in academia in the United States."
At the end of 2021 and into 2022, Professor Vélez-Torres will continue her interdisciplinary and international work: she will be in Portugal to advance in another project focused on social movements and illicit crops.
Challenges for Women in STEM
At Univalle Engineering Week 2021, which was between November 24-26, the theme was "Women in Engineering: Research, entrepreneurship and innovation for regional development."
Professor Laura Sofía Rodríguez Pulecio, co-founder of the Women in STEM group, explained that the intention of the week was to “make visible the work of women in engineering, talk about the problem of gender gap that still persist in our society and how Engineering can contribute to reducing these gaps, talking about what are the factors that even today there is a low participation of women in these areas."
READ MORE: Women in STEM, the stars of Engineering Week 2021 at Universidad del Valle
Professor Vélez-Torres says that there are still situations where she feels treated differently than other male professors. For example, she and other female colleagues have been called "Mrs" or "the girl" in academic contexts, even though she is a professor as well.
“I have a PhD just like them, and at 40, I'm not a girl either,” Professor Vélez-Torres said.
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