Andrés Maldonado is widely recognised among the main cross-disciplinary academic national and international institutions. He has received many awards, among them the “Alfonso X El Sabio” cross from the Ministry of Science and Education in 1971, and the DUPONT prize for science in 1992. Currently, Maldonado is founding member elect of the European Academy of Science, London (1987-present), corresponding member elect of the Royal Academy of Sciences and Arts of Barcelona (2000 present), and permanent member of the Academy of Mathematical, Physico-Chemical and Natural Sciences (Natural Sciences section) of Granada (2007-present) [...] Among Maldonado’s main activities as director was the promotion and improvement of marine sciences in all of its disciplines at the ICM. This interest is evidenced by various measures aimed at improving the scientific and technical infrastructure, recruiting and training young researchers and obtaining greater visibility and internationalisation of the marine sciences. The new project for the ICM included updating the B/O García del Cid research vessel by enhancing the multipurpose capabilities [...] In 1988, CSIC gave Maldonado the technical responsibility of advising the Bazán shipyard and the Spanish Navy in the construction of what would be an oceanographic research vessel with polar capabilities, the BIO Hesperides. He coordinated a multidisciplinary group of advisors from the various ICM departments: Jordi Salat, Jaume Rucabado, Miquel Alcaraz and José Ignacio Díaz. The contribution of the BIO Hesperides to oceanic studies is one of the fundamental keys to understanding the progress of marine research in Spain in recent years. At the ICM, the scanning electron microscopy service was modernised and expanded with the addition of an X-ray microanalysis probe for qualitative and quantitative analysis of marine samples. Maldonado has also promoted the teaching activities of ICM researchers in the post-graduate courses coordinated by Agustín Sánchez-Arcilla of the UPC School of Civil Engineering, and encouraged the incorporation of marine geologists in order to promote greater multidisciplinarity and balance between marine disciplines. The composition of the Spanish marine research community was previously clearly predominated by biologists (Ministerio de Educación y Cultura, 1999), and Maldonado has contributed greatly to rectifying this imbalance. It was during Maldonado’s directorship at the ICM that the internationalisation of Spanish marine science research increased once again. A crucial milestone was when Spain joined the European Economic Community in 1986, when many ICM researchers became involved in the Framework Programme for R&D with other European institutions. Of particular benefit was the implementation of the European Marine Science and Technology (MAST) programme. Maldonado also encouraged the temporary incorporation of prestigious foreign researchers for sabbatical stays. Finally, while he was the head of the CSIC Department of International Relationships, he contributed to establishing bilateral programmes, such as the one with Chile CONICET-CSIC, and made it possible for numerous international meetings to be held at the ICM

Biography Andrés Maldonado López.-- 4 pages, 3 photographs

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