Professor Emeritus
Professor of Engineering Science & Applied Mathematics
Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering
Temple University
1947 North 12th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19122
E-mail: sserrano@temple.edu
Dr. Sergio E. Serrano is a philosopher, engineer, scientist, and university professor of environmental engineering, hydrologic science, applied mathematics, and philosophy. He received his Ph.D. degree at the University of Waterloo (Canada). For the past twenty five years, he has taught in several universities in the United States, Canada, Colombia, Spain, and China. He has over one hundred research publications in international science, engineering, and mathematics journals. He is also the author of eight books in environmental engineering, statistics, philosophy, and psychology. Dr. Serrano has been awarded four times with nationally-competitive research grants by the National Science Foundation, Washington, DC.
Dr. Serrano came from Santander (Colombia). He is an observer of human nature. After many years living and working in several countries, he developed a passion for nature, psychology, philosophy, metaphysics, alchemy, archaeology, home wine making, herbal and energy medicine, and cooking. He plays the recorder (Renaissance flute). He has a passion for hiking. He affirms that one of the purposes in life is to achieve happiness, but the key to this ideal state requires a systematic elimination of negative emotions, and the gradual reintegration of the physical, emotional, and spiritual parts of the self. His books and articles in the humanities describe practical methods and exercises to reach a state of bliss. He believes that the joy of meaningful living, and meaningful relationships, can be found in the simplicity of everyday life. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife of thirty years and his daughter.
Education
Ph.D., University of Waterloo, Canada, 1985
M.Sc., University of Guelph, Canada, 1985
Graduate Diploma, University Nacional, Colombia, 1978
B.Sc. Xavier University, (“Universidad Javeriana”, the Jesuits University of Colombia), 1977
High School, St. Viator School, (Catholic) Colombia, 1971
Professional Employment
2007-Present. Professor of Engineering Science & Applied mathematics, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
2003-2007. Professor and Chair, Civil & Environmental Engineering, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
1986-2003. Assistant, Associate, and full Professor, Civil Engineering, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
1993. Visiting Professor, Department of Hydraulics and Environmental Engineering, University de Valencia, Spain, on sabbatical leave
Fall 1985-Spring 1986. Post-Doctoral Fellow, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Waterloo, Canada
1985. Visiting Scientist, Atomic Energy of Canada, Environmental Division, Chalk River, Ontario, Canada, 1985
1982-1985. Graduate Assistant, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Waterloo, Canada
1981-1982. Graduate Assistant, School of Engineering, University of Guelph, Canada
1977-1980. International Water Resources Consultant. TNO, the Netherlands; INGEOMINAS, Colombia (several projects in various locations in Colombia to provide water for the native population)
Sample Honors and Awards
Member of the International Board and contributing author of the Handbook of Applied Hydrology 50th Anniversary (2014).
Award Recipient. Invited international advisor for the technological transfer of analytical decomposition of nonlinear differential equations. Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan, Province of Shanxi, China (2011)
Award recipient. Invited international advisor for the technological transfer of analytical decomposition of nonlinear differential equations. Shanghai Institute of technology, Sanghai, China (2011)
Award Recipient, Biogeochemical Fluid Dyamics and their Applications. Spanish Ministry of Education through the Program of grants for the mobility of professors (2010).
Award recipient, Research Fellowship for Non-National Hispanics, Scientific and Cultural Affairs, Spain (2000)
Appointed Associate Editor, Water Science & Technology Library (1999-2014)
Associate Editor, Journal of Hydrologic Engineering, American Society of Civil Engineers (since 1995)
Award recipient, National Science Foundation (1997)
Award recipient, National Science Foundation (1994)
Award Recipient, National Science Foundation (1992)
Award Recipient, National Science Foundation (1990)
Award recipient, U.S. Geological Survey (1992)
Award recipient, U.S. Geological Survey (1988)
Summer Research Award, Graduate School, University of Kentucky (1987, 1988)
Nominated for the Presidential Young Investigator Award (1986)
First Place, Best Journal Research Paper in Civil Engineering, University of Kentucky (1995)
First Place, Best Journal Research Paper in Civil Engineering, University of Kentucky (1992)
First Place, Best Journal Research Paper in Civil Engineering, University of Kentucky (1989)
Second Place, Best Journal Research Paper in the College of Engineering, University of Kentucky (1989)
First Place, Best Journal Research Paper in Civil Engineering, University of Kentucky (1988)
Special Faculty Award for Outstanding Research, University of Kentucky President (1988, 1990)
Distinguished Teacher, Collegians for Academic Excellence (a student organization focusing on teaching excellence), University of Kentucky (1990)
Cited in Who’s Who Among Hispanic Americans
Cited in Contributions in Hydrology”, The U.S. National Report to the 20th General Assembly International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics, Vienna, Austria, August 1124, 1991
Cited in several research articles in the following journals:Water Resources Research, Advances in Water Resources, Journal of Stochastic Hydrology and Hydraulics
Academic Scholarship, University of Waterloo (1982)
Academic Scholarship, University of Waterloo (1984)
International Scholarship, Rotary International (1980 1981)
Academic Scholarship, Colombian Geological Survey (1978)
Academic Scholarship, Institute ICETEX, Colombia (1972 1976)
Summary of Past Research Funding
Continuous funding since 1986 of private research contracts, internal grants, and international fellowships
Competitive funding secured for the construction of two, state-of-the-art, research labs (2003, 2004, 2005)
Continuous funding from the National Science Foundation from 1990 to 2002 (4 grants)
Two grants from the U.S. Geological Survey (1988, 1992)
Technical Area of Specialization
Surface and subsurface hydrologic engineering
Effects of climate change on water resources
Theoretical analyses; analytical solutions of nonlinear differential equations in engineering and Science
Groundwater flow and groundwater pollution modeling
Mathematics and physics of multi-phase transport in soils and aquifers
Stochastic analysis and stochastic differential equations of engineering systems
.