Professors and researchers Wilmer Carvache and Ángel Flor, from the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities (FCSH), received merit diplomas at the ceremonial session for the 68th anniversary of the Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL) on October 29.
Wilmer Carvache, a researcher in the Tourism program, was recognized as the best professor in the area of research. So far, he has published 164 articles on marketing, innovation, tourism, and sustainability, all indexed in Scopus. Of these, 98 (about 60%) have been published in Q1 journals, which are the journals with the highest impact and prestige in their field. He was not present at the ceremony, so the FCSH dean, Carla Ricaurte, received the award for him.
Professor Carvache has a PhD in Tourism and Leisure from Rovira i Virgili University (Spain). His publications have more than 1,700 citations, which means that other researchers have used his work as a reference. He says that the contribution of his research is broad and very important.
Ángel Flor, professor and coordinator of the Master’s in Rural Development at the FCSH, received the diploma as the best professor in the area of community engagement. He received this recognition for securing funds for projects with the community. One of the most important is the CREA Project: Road to the Reactivation of Agrifood Ecuador (Camino a la reactivación del Ecuador Agroalimentario), funded by the European Union. It was carried out in the provinces of Guayas, Manabí, Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, and Pichincha.
His other projects include:
- The Agricultural Voucher Project (Proyecto Bono Agrícola).
- The Tourism Supply and Demand Project in the Galápagos Islands.
- The Training Project for the fishing sector in the Galápagos Islands.
Professor Flor, who holds a Master’s in Rural Development, says that working in agriculture with communities has been a rewarding experience. It helps make sure that the knowledge taught really reaches the producer, so that they can earn an income for their family. He adds: “Strengthening ties in agriculture helps young people stay and farm their land safely.”
ESPOL was created by Executive Decree No. 1664, issued on October 29, 1958, by the president of the Republic at that time, Camilo Ponce Enríquez. Its mission is to work with society by training professionals with integrity, doing research, and innovating to improve quality of life and promote sustainable development.
