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Dra. Mª del Mar Cledera Castro

Current position:
Associate Professor
Association date:
17/Dec/2019
Location:
AA25. D-310
Phone extension number:
+34 91 542-2800 ext. 2372
Researcher ID:
Google Scholar ID:
SCOPUS:
ResearchGate:
IEEE:
Academic Report:

Biography:

María del Mar Cledera Castro holds a PhD in Industrial Engineering and is an Associate Professor at Comillas Pontifical University (ICAI). She coordinates the Environmental Technologies Area at the Institute for Research in Technology (IIT) and the Emerging Contaminants and Resource Recovery Research Group. She is also Head of the Chemistry and Environment Laboratory and ICAI’s representative to the Integral Ecology Unit. Her research focuses on environmental technologies, water treatment, emerging contaminants, waste management and resource recovery, anaerobic digestion, and biogas and biomethane production. Her work also encompasses renewable energy, the energy transition, life cycle assessment, and sustainability assessment.


Areas of interest:

Environmental technologies. Environmental pollution and emerging contaminants. Water treatment. Waste management and resource recovery. Anaerobic digestion, biogas and biomethane. Renewable energy and the energy transition. Life cycle assessment and sustainability assessment. Materials for environmental applications.


Experience:

She has nearly thirty years of experience in teaching, research, and academic management at Comillas Pontifical University. Her career has focused on environmental engineering, energy, and sustainability, and she has participated in national and international research projects on emerging contaminants, water treatment, waste recovery, anaerobic digestion, biogas, renewable energy, and life cycle assessment. She also has extensive experience in teaching and supervising academic work, laboratory management, multidisciplinary team coordination, and knowledge transfer. She currently coordinates the Environmental Technologies Area at IIT and the Emerging Contaminants and Resource Recovery Research Group, heads the Chemistry and Environment Laboratory, and serves as ICAI’s representative to the Integral Ecology Unit.


Skills:

Leadership and team coordination. Scientific communication and outreach. Organisational and planning skills. Multidisciplinary teamwork. Critical thinking and problem-solving. Adaptability, initiative, and results orientation.


Current research interests:

Environmental technologies, emerging contaminants, water treatment, waste recovery, biogas and biomethane, renewable energy, energy transition, and life cycle assessment.


Highlighted Publications

show 5 highlighted publications

Journal Publications

show 25 journal publications

Conference Papers

show 27 conference papers

Books and Book Chapters

show 6 books and book chapters

Invited Conferences and Seminars

  • Chair in "Round table: Common home and socio-environmental justice: institutional and community practices" II Jornada Interuniversitaria Ecología Integral «Justicia socioambiental. Retos 2050». Universidad Pontificia Comillas; y Pontificia Universidad Javeriana. Madrid (Spain). Apr 2026.
  • Chair in "Round table: «Biomethane, key vector in energy transition»" Jornada «El papel del biometano en el desarrollo rural». Institut Cerdá; y Fundación Repsol. Valencia (Spain). Jun 2025.
  • Conference "Inside-Out Sustainability: Peripatetic teaching" Jornadas de buenas prácticas en docencia. Comillas 2024-25. Universidad Pontificia Comillas. Madrid (Spain). Jun 2025.
  • Chair in " «Round table: The horizon of Integral Ecology in the Catholic University» " Jornada interuniversitaria. Caminos de esperanza en el cuidado de la casa común. Unidad de Ecología Integral. Universidad Pontificia Comillas. Madrid (Spain). Apr 2025.
  • Workshop "Bioenergy in action: how to obtain biomethane from waste" Semana de la Ciencia y la Innovación 2024. Fundación para el conocimiento madri+d. Comunidad de Madrid. Madrid (Spain). Nov 2024.
  • Workshop "Bioenergy in action: producing biomethane from waste " Semana de la Ciencia y la Innovación 2023. Fundación para el conocimiento madri+d. Comunidad de Madrid. Madrid (Spain). Nov 2023.
  • Round table "Carbon footprint reduction measures in the automotive industry" VIII Congreso Nacional de Igenieros del ICAI «Somos historia que construye futuro». Colegio de Ingenieros del ICAI. Madrid (Spain). Nov 2021.
  • Round table "Waste-to-energy valuation of sewage sludge waste" VIII Congreso Nacional de Igenieros del ICAI «Somos historia que construye futuro». Colegio de Ingenieros del ICAI. Madrid (Spain). Nov 2021.
show 8 invited conferences and seminars

Organization of Scientific Meetings

  • Organization of "Conference on Research and Interdisciplinary Dialogue: The Comillas Community and the Challenges of Sustainability". Universidad Pontificia Comillas;. Madrid (Spain). Jun 2026.
  • Organization of "2nd Interuniversity Conference on Integral Ecology: “Socio-Environmental Justice: Challenges for 2050”". Universidad Pontificia Comillas; y Pontificia Universidad Javeriana. Madrid (Spain). Apr 2026.
  • Organization of "Permanent Seminar on Energy Technologies: Nuclear Fuel". Iberdrola. Madrid (Spain). Dec 2012 - Apr 2013.
  • Organization of "Sustainable fuels of the 21st century". Iberdrola; Endesa; y Colegio Nacional de Ingenieros del ICAI. Madrid (Spain). Jun 2012.
  • Organization of "Permanent Seminar on Energy Technologies". Iberdrola; Instituto de la Ingeniería de España; Y Universidad Pontificia Comillas. Madrid (Spain). Oct 2011 - Jul 2012.
  • Organization of "Nuclear session". Iberdrola; Universidad Pontificia Comillas; y SNE. Madrid (Spain). Oct 2011 - Jul 2012.
  • Organization of "Energy Technologies Classroom". Iberdrola; y Universidad Pontificia Comillas. Madrid (Spain). Oct 2011 - May 2012.
show 7 organization of scientific meetings

External Relevant Positions

  • Editor at "Tendencias en adhesión y adhesivos. XI Congreso de adhesión y adhesivos. Libro de resúmenes, vol. III" Servicio de Publicaciones de la Universidad Pontificia Comillas. Madrid (Spain). Sep 2010.
show 1 external relevant positions

Media and research dissemination

show 7 media and research dissemination

Fellowships and Awards

  • Director of prizewinning work in "Engie Prize for the best Final Year Project 2023-24. PFC Supervisor «Transición energética local: Diseño técnico y evaluación económica de una Comunidad Energética en un municipio de Asturias» by J. Guerrero Rodríguez". Universidad Pontificia Comillas. Madrid (Spain). Apr 2025.
  • Director of prizewinning work in "Axpo Iberia Prize for the best Final Year Project 2022-23. PFC Supervisor «Diseño y desarrollo de una planta de producción de biogás a partir de estiércol de ganado vacuno» by I. Aguiriano Guerra". Universidad Pontificia Comillas. Madrid (Spain). Apr 2024.
  • Director of prizewinning work in "Repsol Foundation Chair in Energy Transition Prize for the best Final Master Project 2021-22. TFM Supervisor «Viabilidad del hidrógeno renovable procedente de residuos para cubrir la demanda urbana de climatización y movilidad en la España peninsular» by Léonard Lefranc". Universidad Pontificia Comillas. Madrid (Spain). Apr 2023.
  • Director of prizewinning work in "Premio Cátedra BP de Energía y Sostenibilidad al mejor Proyecto Fin de Máster 2016-17. Director del TFM «Estudio sobre el acceso universal a electricidad y agua potable en la Amazonía» por Raquel de la Orden López". Universidad Pontificia Comillas. Madrid (Spain). Mar 2018.
show 4 fellowships and awards

Other Activities

  • Doctoral Defense Committee of "Aguila Carricondo, M. P. «Biorrefinerías sostenibles basadas en fitoplancton para la producción de pigmentos bioactivos y biogás»". Universidad Rey Juan Carlos. Madrid (Spain). Jul 2025.
  • Doctoral Defense Committee of "García Vázquez, N. «Eliminación de disruptores endocrinos en aguas residuales mediante procesos basados en microalgas empleando un enfoque de biorrefinería»". Universidad Rey Juan Carlos. Madrid (Spain). Jun 2025.
  • Reviewer in "Chemosphere". Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd. Oxford (United Kingdom). Dec 2024 - Jan 2025.
  • Reviewer in "Fermentation". MDPI AG. Basel (Switzerland). Sep - Oct 2022.
  • Reviewer in "Energies". MDPI AG. Basel (Switzerland). Jun 2022 - May 2023.
  • Reviewer in "Water". MDPI AG. Basel (Switzerland). Jun 2022.
  • Reviewer in "Applied Sciences". MDPI AG. Basel (Switzerland). Apr 2022.
  • Reviewer in "Agronomy". MDPI AG. Basel (Switzerland). Sep 2021.
  • Reviewer in "Sustainability". MDPI AG. Basel (Switzerland). Apr 2021 - Mar 2025.
  • Reviewer in "Energy Conversion and Management". Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd. Oxford (United Kingdom). Feb - Jul 2021.
  • Reviewer in "Journal of Cleaner Production". Elsevier Science Ltd. Oxford (United Kingdom). Jun 2020 - Dec 2025.
  • Doctoral Defense Committee of "González Rosales, A. «Análisis de los factores de pérdidas de un sistema fotovoltaico conectado a red»". Universidad Alfonso X El Sabio. Madrid (Spain). Jul 2017.
  • Doctoral Defense Committee of "Uris Mas, M. «Viabilidad técnico-económica de la cogeneración para el sector residencial en España a partir de biomasa mediante ciclo de rankine orgánico»". Universidad Pontificia Comillas. Madrid (Spain). Jun 2017.
  • Doctoral Defense Committee of "Narbón Prieto, J. «Análisis del tratamiento superficial del aluminio y su influencia en el proceso de la adhesión: evaluación de la topografía y su relación con la energía superficial del sustrato»". Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. Madrid (Spain). Jun 2014.
  • Doctoral Defense Committee of "Simón Rodríguez, M.A. «Algoritmo heurístico para la planificación y programación de carteras de proyectos con recursos limitados»". Universidad Alfonso X El Sabio. Madrid (Spain). May 2013.
  • Doctoral Defense Committee of "Pantoja Ruiz, M. «Optimización de recubrimientos silano sobre superficies de acero electrozincado exentas de cromo para la mejora de uniones adhesivas anaeróbicas»". Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. Madrid (Spain). Apr 2011.
show 16 other activities