Dr. Luis F. Díaz

Dr. Díaz received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering at San Jose State University (California, U.S.A.), a M.S in Mechanical Engineering and a Doctorate in Environmental Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley (California, U.S.A.) and a Doctorate in Engineering (h.c.) from the Bauhaus University in Weimar, Germany. He has been involved in the field of environmental management, waste management and renewable energy production for more than 40 years. Has participated in projects dealing with final waste disposal and waste treatment for the recovery of materials and energy, has prepared feasibility studies and master plans in the United States and more than 45 countries. Dr. Diaz has been involved in the development of innovative processes for the biological treatment of organic residues through composting and anaerobic digestion.

Dr. Díaz has given advise on the areas for environmental protection and in the development of non-conventional sources of energy to various international organizations such as the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the U.S. International Development Agency (USAID), the Peace Corps, and several United Nations agencies (UNIDO, UNICEF, UNEP, WHO, PAHO).

Throughout his career, Dr. Díaz has sought a balance between academic activities, Research and Development, and fieldwork. As such, he was Editor-in-Chief of the journal “Waste Management”, a peer-reviewed journal published by Elsevier. He is also a member of the Editorial Board of several journals in the field of waste management and the environment. Dr. Díaz has more than 500 publications in the field of waste management and power generation. He has also authored and co-authored several books dealing with the treatment and final disposal of solid waste and the treatment of organic waste for energy recovery and the production of soil amendments.

He has been Keynote speaker and made presentations at a large number of national and international conferences, in colleges and universities in the fields of waste and energy management. Dr. Díaz has participated in the organization of several specialized training courses and has participated in more than 400 seminars and symposia in several countries. He has lectured on various aspects of environmental protection at various universities around the world.

Dr. Díaz is the Chairman of the Working Group on Solid Waste Management in Development Countries for the International Waste Working Group (IWWG).

Dr. Díaz was one of the authors of the fourth IPCC Evaluation Report. Working Group III: Mitigation of Climate Change, Chapter 10: Waste Management. This IPCC work was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007. The award was shared with Mr. Al Gore 45th Vice President of the United States.