Dr. Milagrosa Aldana Gómez holds both her undergraduate and doctoral degrees from Simón Bolívar University in Caracas, Venezuela. She earned her Bachelor of Physics (Cum Laude) with a specialization in Geophysics in 1986. In 1995, she completed her Ph.D. in Physics with an Outstanding Mention for her thesis focused on molecular motion in polycarbonate materials, investigated using Thermally Stimulated Depolarization Currents (TSDC). Her academic formation was further enriched through prestigious research stays at the University of Vigo’s GEOMA Lab (Spain), supported by Fundación Carolina and Erasmus+, and through visiting professorships at the University of Valencia (Spain) and the Venezuelan Institute of Scientific Research (IVIC).
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👩🏫 Experience
Dr. Aldana is a Full Professor (Titular) at the Earth Sciences Department of Simón Bolívar University, where she has served in various academic and administrative capacities for over 30 years. She is the current Coordinator of the Doctorate in Engineering and has previously served as the Head of the Earth Science Department, and Coordinator for both the Geophysics Engineering B.Sc. and Master’s in Earth Sciences programs. Her early career began as a Geophysicist I at Corpoven (PDVSA), working on seismic and petrophysical data analysis. She has been a visiting professor and researcher in Spain and Venezuela and has collaborated with institutions across Latin America. Her professional contributions include over 100 peer-reviewed publications, more than 300 supervised theses, and participation in numerous national and international consulting and research projects in geophysics, environmental science, petroleum exploration, and archaeology.
📚 Skills
Dr. Aldana’s core competencies lie at the intersection of computational geophysics, non-linear data analysis, and artificial intelligence applied to Earth Sciences. She is proficient in geostatistics, Bayesian theory, discriminant analysis, clustering, and non-linear techniques such as logic, neural networks, genetic algorithms, and fractals. Her expertise extends to seismic inversion, attribute analysis, magnetic and dielectric material characterization, and experimental curve analysis. She has applied these skills to a broad array of domains, including reservoir characterization, petroleum exploration, environmental contamination, soil classification, and archaeological provenance studies
🛰️ Research Focus
Dr. Aldana’s research is deeply rooted in Earth Sciences, with a multidisciplinary approach combining physics, geophysics, materials science, and computational methods. Her primary interests include the development and application of prototype computational codes, AI tools, and non-linear techniques for the analysis of geophysical and geological datasets such as seismic data, well logs, and rock magnetism. She has contributed to reservoir characterization, seismic attribute analysis, magnetostratigraphy, and surface material studies. Her innovative use of EPR and magnetic techniques in unconventional Earth Science applications stands out, including work on prehistoric Amerindian ceramics, stratigraphy, and environmental pollution. Her current projects explore the integration of fuzzy logic in quantum mechanics and the use of magnetic-geochemical parameters to evaluate contaminated soils
🏆 Awards and Honors
Dr. Aldana has been recognized multiple times for her academic and research excellence. Notable honors include the 2020 PEO York Chapter Engineering Research Project of the Year Award (3rd Place), Teacher of the Year (2021, SOVG), the Simón Rodríguez Teaching Award (2017), the Annual Award for Outstanding Teaching (2013–2014, USB), the Andrés Bello Award for Best Scientific Paper (2007), and the Procter & Gamble Award for Teaching Excellence (2007). These awards highlight her significant impact both in teaching and in interdisciplinary scientific research.
📚Publication