University of Texas
Fernando Quevedo Rodriguez
1956–

Fernando Quevedo Rodríguez was born in 1956 in Costa Rica and obtained his early education in Guatemala. He obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin in 1986 under the supervision of Nobel laurate Steven Weinberg.

Fernando Quevedo is a Guatemalan physicist. He was appointed director of the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in October 2009; he succeeded K. R. Sreenivasan, who was the director since 2003. Following a string of research appointments at CERN, Switzerland, McGill University in Canada, Institut de Physique in Neuchatel, Switzerland, and the Los Alamos National Laboratory, USA, as well as a brief term as professor of physics at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). Dr. Quevedo later joined the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics at the University of Cambridge, UK, in 1998, where he has been Professor of Theoretical Physics and Fellow of Gonville and Caius College. He has been awarded the Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award, Doctorate Honoris Causa from Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala and Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, John Solomon Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship and, alongside Anamaría Font, won the 1998 ICTP Prize. He has authored more than 100 papers. He has taught courses on differential equations, complex methods, supersymmetry and extra dimensions. He has discussed the importance of international research institutions for science diplomacy.[5]

• 2023 Retired
• 2003-2023 Professor of Theoretical Physics
• 2009-2019 Director ICTP, Trieste. On leave from DAMTP
• 2001-2003 Reader in Theoretical Physics, DAMTP
• 2000-2001 University Lecturer, DAMTP
• 1998-2000 PPARC Advanced Research Fellow, Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics at the University of Cambridge, UK (DAMT)
• 1997-1998 Professor of Physics, UNAM, Mexico
• 1995-1996 Paid Associate CERN, Switzerland
• 1991-1995 Chef des Travaux, University of Neuchatel, Switzerland
• 1989-1991 Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Los Alamos National Laboratory, USA
• 1988-1989 Postoctoral Research Fellow, McGill University, Canada
• 1986-1988 Research Fellow, CERN, Switzerland
• 1982-1986 Research Assistant, University of Texas at Austin

Fernando Quevedo 
University of Cambridge

Citation:

"For sustained commitment and achievement in the advancement of physics and science in developing countries."

Background:

Fernando Quevedo is a Guatemalan theoretical high energy physicist. He holds a Professorship in Theoretical Physics at the University of Cambridge, UK and a Fellow of Gonville and Caius College since 2001. From 2009 to 2019 he was the Director of ICTP (Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics) in Trieste, Italy. He obtained his PhD at the University of Texas under the supervision of Steven Weinberg. His research has been mostly focused on formal, phenomenological and cosmological aspects of field and string theories. He has given hundreds of seminars and colloquia in more than 50 countries. He has more than 150 publications with more than 16,000 citations and an h-index equal to 72. During his mandate ICTP expanded its horizons by creating new institutes worldwide such as ICTP-SAIFR in Brazil and EAIFR in Rwanda, new research areas such as Quantitative Life Sciences and Renewable Energies, new educational programmes such as the International Master in Medical Physics and new outreach projects such as Physics Without Frontiers. He was the founding international coordinator of the network of Guatemalan scientists from 2005 to 2017. He has numerous awards such as the 1998 ICTP prize, a John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship, a Royal Society Wolfson award, the Abdus Salam Medal of the World Academy of Science (TWAS), the Spirit of Salam award and honorary degrees from the Universities San Carlos and del Valle of Guatemala and the University of Chiapas in Mexico.

Fernando is the second University of Texas graduate to win this award. In 2009, Carlos Ordonoz, 1986 PhD, received the award.

Fernando Quevedo Photo and Document Album

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