Dr. Alejandra Balaguera
Qualifications
Dr. Alejandra Balaguera completed her Ph.D. in Engineering, (University of Medellín, Colombia) in 2018. The PhD thesis was maily developed at University of Medellín, supervised by Dr. Gloria Isabel Carvajal, and partially developed at the UNESCO Chair in the Cycle of Life and Climate Change ESCI-UPF (Spain), supervised by Dr. Pere Fullana.
Prior to her doctoral studies, she attained a Master's Degree in Sustainable Development and Cleaner Production (2009 – 2012) at Universidad Nacional de Lanús logo, Argentina. Her undergraduate studies were a Bachelor Degree in Environmental Engineering (University of Medellín, Colombia) in 2008.
Professional and research activity
Dr. Balaguera is Full-time Associate Professor and Researcher at University of Medellín, at its Engineering Department, teaching Environmental Engineering. She is coordinator of the Master in Environmental Engineering and the specialization in Sustainable Development and Cleaner Production.
Her research is focused in Environmental Management, with topics such as: sustainable construction, cleaner production, life cycle assessment, carbon footprint and circular economy.
Dr. Balaguera is an external researcher of the UNESCO Chair in the Cycle of Life and Climate Change ESCI-UPF through an agreement signed with the University of Medellín. She has performed several scientific short stays at the Chair and performed several research projects in collaboration with full-time researchers of the Chair.
Selected publications
Jaume Albertí, Alejandra Balaguera, Christian Brodhag, Pere Fullana-i-Palmer, 2017. Towards life cycle sustainability assessment of cities. A review of background knowledge. Science of the Total Environment, 609, 1049-1063.
Balaguera, A., Carvajal, G.I., Albertí, J., Fullana i Palmer, P. 2018. Life cycle assessment of road construction alternative materials: a literature review. Resources, Conservation & Recycling, 132, 37-48.
Balaguera A., Carvajal G.I., Arias Y.P., Albertí J., Fullana-i-Palmer P., 2019. Technical feasibility and life cycle assessment of an industrial waste as stabilizing product for unpaved roads, and influence of packaging. Science of the Total Environment, 651, Part 1, 1272-1282.
Albertí J., Contessotto D., Civancik-Uslu D., Balaguera A.; Fullana-i-Palmer P., 2019. Does a Life Cycle Assessment remain valid after 20 years? Scenario analysis with a Bus Stop study. Resources, Conservation & Recycling, 144, 169-179.
Balaguera, Alejandra; Albertí, Jaume; Carvajal, Gloria Isabel; Fullana-i-Palmer, Pere, 2020. Stabilizing rural roads with waste streams vs traditional materials in colombia: a life cycle assessment. Sustainability, 13, 2458.