20
| Annual Report 2012 - 2013
Universidad de las Américas Puebla
CUTTING EDGE RESEARCH
In the School of Sciences, there are projects directed
by Dr José Daniel Lozada Ramírez, professor and
Head of the Department of Chemical-Biological Sci-
ences: "Clonación, Caracterización y Aplicación de
Enzimas en las Síntesis de Biocombustibles: Bioca-
tálisis usando Enzimas Libres e Inmovilizadas sobre
Soportes Nano-Estructurados" financed by the
SEP-CONACYT´S sector fund for basic science; and
"Evaluación de la actividad sintética de la enzima
recombinante S-adenosilhomocisteína hidrolasa
(SAHasa) de Corynebacterium efficiens: nuevo
método espectrofotométrico de medida", financed
by FOMIX CONACYT.
In the same way, Dr Eugenio Sánchez Arreola, pro-
fessor of the Department of Chemical-Biological Sci-
ences, through the project "Obtención de Biodiesel
de las semillas de Jatropha curcas (piñón), Rici-
nus communis L. (higuerilla) y Thevetia peruviana
(hueso de fraile) por métodos químicos", is looking
to harvest seeds from three different plants to obtain
oil by three methods. The best quality oil will be used
to obtain biodiesel by chemical methods. This proj-
ect is funded by CONACYT.
The project "Planetario Germán Martínez Hidalgo:
catalizador de la ciencia en Puebla", developed in
collaboration with the National Institute of Astro-
physics, Optics and Electronics (INAOE), designs the
exhibits related to recreational chemistry for the
Puebla Planetarium. This project is headed by Dr
Miguel Ángel Méndez Rojas, professor of the Depart-
ment of Chemical-Biological Sciences.
The School of Social Sciences is developing projects
like the one headed by Dr Travis William Stanton,
professor and head of the Anthropology Department:
"Proyecto de Interacción Polática del Centro de
Yucatán", financed by the Pedro y Elena Hernández
Foundation. Likewise, with a grant from conacYt,
Mesoamerican Research Foundation and Fundación
Lindley, Dr María Gabriela Uruñuela Ladrón de Gue-
vara and Dr Patricia Plunket Nagoda, professors of
the Anthropology Department, co-chair the Project
"La Gran Pirámide de Cholula: Registro y Análisis del
Edificio Escalonado y sus Estructuras Asociadas".
Dr Laura Helena Porras Hernández, professor and
head of the Department of Education Science, directs
the research project "Bases para una estrategia inte-
gradora de uso de TIC en contextos rurales: estudio
de casos y sistematización de buenas prácticas",
financed by SEP-SEB-CONACYT Sector Funds, where
she applies integration practices and use of infor-
mation and communication technology to teach-
ing, to test desirable traits that become case studies
to articulate proposals with a greater probability of
being used by other teachers.
All projects mentioned above are a sample from
102 research projects registered in 2012 in different
areas; a majority of them have external funding from
the government or the private sector. Participation
of research professors in projects from private com-
panies gives UDLAP a solid basis to fulfill the objec-
tives established in the Institutional Strategic Plan.
Through their commitment, experience, knowledge,
and research and leadership abilities, our research-
ers and teaching staff continue to develop projects
that have a positive impact on the institution and
on our students; they serve society as well, provid-
ing solutions for the needs of industries and national
and international organizations.
