Leonardo Guzmán Méndez Recognition by IFOP’s Professionals and Technicians Union
November 26th, 2023On November 22nd, 2023. IFOP Professionals and Technicians union met to recognize Dr. Leonardo Guzmán Méndez work, former IFOP’s Aquaculture Division head, who has worked at the institution for 31 years both as a researcher, Punta Arenas zonal head (for a time between Valdivia and Punta Arenas), and Puerto Montt Aquaculture Research Division’s Head.
Doing a brief review of Leonardo’s academic and work life, we can say that he was born in Punta Arenas, his father being Feliz Guzmán and his mother Inés Méndez and from there he moved to Santiago to study at tUniversidad de Chile, where he obtained a bachelor’s degree. in marine biology in 1969. After that, in 1997 he completed his doctorate in Sciences with a mention in zoology at Universidad de Concepción. He worked at Patagonia Institute for 20 years and as a Universidad de Magallanes’s associate professor for 12, where he dedicated himself to researching species of commercial importance and the response of natural systems to anthropogenic disturbances and harmful algal blooms, being his main interest in environmental sciences and the anthropic impact on aquatic systems.
After working in southern Chile, in Punta Arenas, he went to work at Fisheries Development Institute of the same city in 1992, as zonal head at that time. In 2003 he took on the challenge of moving to Puerto Montt to direct the Aquaculture Research Division until 2023, where he left the leadership position to continue as project manager of the Red Tide program.
There is no doubt about Dr. Leonardo Guzmán’s contribution to science regarding harmful algal blooms; his contribution to the emergence of “New” IFOP’s Aquaculture Research Division must also be recognized, in complex times. It was a transition period for the Division, where it went from promoting aquaculture to generating public role research, strengthening the Institution in the framework of advising decision makers.
For his great professionalism and for having worked for the benefit of those of us who make up the Aquaculture Division, the IFOP Professionals and Technicians Union appreciates his management, recognizing his work in these years and especially in these last 21 as head of Division