Jesús Rodríguez Pérez, Medal of Honor from the Spanish Society of Structural Integrity

Alba Junquera

The Spanish Society for Structural Integrity (SEIE) is a multidisciplinary scientific and technological society that brings together researchers from various national universities and research centers. The objective of the Meeting of the Spanish Fracture Group (GEF) is to improve the safety, durability, and performance of structures, components, and materials used in engineering. Its scientific motivations include the exchange and discussion of ideas about fracture and the mechanical behavior of materials. This includes debating how and why materials break or deform when a force is applied, seeking to understand their strength limits and design safer, more durable structures.

During these national congresses, the society recognizes the careers of researchers whose contributions to the field of structural integrity are particularly significant. Furthermore, the Medals of Honor are distinctions that unite a select group of highly renowned Spanish scientists in the field of mechanical properties of materials.

The URJC professor continues to work on projects related to mechanics, highlighting his latest line of research, which deals with the mechanical behavior and fracture of hydrogels. This topic was discussed in his presentation during the Medal of Honor ceremony.

Personal career

Jesús Rodríguez Pérez has been a professor of Mechanical Engineering at the URJC since 2009. He has held residencies at prestigious institutions such as Harvard University (as a Fulbright scholar), Imperial College, and the University of Oxford. His research career has focused on the mechanical behavior and fracture of engineering materials. He has also developed testing methods and theoretical models that allow for a better understanding of the properties of plastic materials.

He also leads the High-Performance Research Group on Durability and Mechanical Integrity of Structural Materials at our university and is the author of more than 100 publications in high-impact journals. Over the past 30 years, he has been a principal investigator on numerous competitive projects focused on the mechanical characterization of materials.