Mario Piattini wins the 2016 National Computing Prize for the researcher under 55 years of age
The Spanish Computer Science Society has awarded the 2016 National Computer Science Award in the 'Aritmel' category, which distinguishes researchers under 55 who have made outstanding scientific contributions in the area of Computer Engineering, to the professor of the University of Castilla-La Mancha Mario Piattini. The jury highlighted the fact of being a national and international benchmark in the quality of information systems, a field on which he focuses his line of research; as well as its technology transfer activity.
The professor of the Area of Computer Languages and Systems of the University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM) Mario Gerardo Piattini Velthuis has been awarded the 2016 National Prize for Computer Science in the 'Aritmel' category granted by the Computer Science Society of Spain. This distinction is awarded to that researcher, under 55 years of age, who has made outstanding scientific contributions in the area of Computer Engineering.
The Prize awarded to Professor Piattini is in recognition of his research career, focused on the quality of information systems, which "currently constitutes the nervous system of all organizations, a quality on which the survival of companies and their competitiveness and, ultimately, our own quality of life”, points out the winner himself.
Director of the Alarcos research group of the Escuela Superior de Informática de Ciudad Real and a leading national and international researcher in the quality of computer systems, Mario Piattini is the most prolific Spanish author with the highest impact index in software engineering, having been selected in 2011 among the 15 'Top scholars in the field of Systems and Software Engineering'. He has published the most referenced books in Spanish on Software Engineering and Databases and has directed 39 doctoral theses.
Professor Piattini, the jury of the Awards has highlighted his technology transfer activity, being the creator of several technology-based companies and the founding director of the Institute of Technologies and Information Systems of the UCLM. As research manager, he has been responsible for the Information Technology area of the National Agency for Evaluation and Prospective (ANEP) of the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness and the Andalusian Knowledge Agency, among other positions.
Founder and member of the boards of directors of several scientific and professional associations, he has received several awards, including the Gabriel Alonso Herrera Award for research career 2010 and the National Award for the Professional Career of the Computer Engineer 2012 from the Federation of Associations of Computer Engineers of Spain.
Mario Piattini is grateful for this award, which he considers to be a recognition, on the one hand, of his Alarcos research group, created twenty years ago together with Professor Francisco Ruiz and which "is made up of professors and researchers of very high professional quality and human”; and on the other, to the University of Castilla-La Mancha, which "once again shows that it is possible to carry out international level research in the region". Piattini appreciates the support received by "all the rectors of the UCLM" throughout his research career.
In addition to Mario Piattini, the Spanish Computer Science Society has recognized the professor of the Department of Computer Languages and Systems at the University of Seville, Miguel Toro, and the Telecommunications engineer from the UPM, Nuria Oliver, with the 2016 National Computer Science Award in the category 'José García Santesmases' for professional career and 'Ángela Ruiz Robles' for activities that promote research or entrepreneurship in the area of Computer Engineering, respectively.
