Rafael Jordana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rafael Jordana
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| Born |
Rafael Jordana Butticaz
17 July 1941 |
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Alma mater | University of Barcelona |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Springtail |
Rafael Jordana Butticaz, born on July 17, 1941, in Zaragoza, Spain, is a famous Spanish scientist. He is an expert in a tiny insect group called springtails, also known as Collembola. He used to be a professor of Animal Physiology and Zoology.
Contents
About Rafael Jordana
His Journey in Science and Teaching
Rafael Jordana studied Natural Sciences (Biology) at the University of Barcelona. He earned his bachelor's degree with honors in 1964.
He started teaching biology at Tajamar School from 1963 to 1964. In 1965, he moved to Barcelona to begin his advanced studies. He was an associate professor at the University of Barcelona from 1965 to 1967. After that, he moved to Pamplona. There, he finished his PhD in Biological Sciences. This was the first PhD ever defended at the Faculty of Sciences there. At the same time, he taught as an associate professor at the University of Navarra from 1967 to 1971. In 1971, when he was only 29, he became a full professor. He got two professor positions at once: "Animal Physiology" and "Applied Zoology," at the University of La Laguna in the Canary Islands.
In October 1972, he returned to Pamplona. He became a Professor of Zoology and Comparative Animal Physiology at the University of Navarra. He helped build the Department of Zoology. He also started collecting and organizing animal research samples. These collections later became part of the Zoology Museum of the University of Navarra. He was the director of this museum from its start in 1980 until he retired in 2011.
His Research Work
From 1965 to 1980, Professor Jordana studied how cells in the intestine work. He looked at how they reacted to different treatments. During this time, he published many research papers on how living things work.
When he became the Director of the Zoology Department, he started studying tiny creatures that live in the soil. He created a research team focused on soil biology. He guided many students who were studying different soil animals like Nematoda (roundworms), Collembola (springtails), Acari (mites), and Oligochaeta (earthworms).
In 2000, he received the highest possible rating for his research work from a national quality agency. This showed how important his research was.
Professor Jordana has written 255 papers, books, and book chapters. His work has been mentioned by other scientists about 2,000 times. He has also discovered and described 120 new types of animals. He received 31 research grants to help fund his studies. He guided 27 students through their PhD studies, and all of them earned the highest possible grade.
Professional Groups and Awards
Rafael Jordana was part of many important groups and organizations:
- He was a member of the Council of Trustees for the Civil Studies Centers of the University of Navarra from 1977 to 1984.
- He helped start the Fundación Empresa-Universidad de Navarra, which connects businesses and the university. He was a founding member from 1987 to 2011.
- He directed the Institute of Applied Biology from 1991 to 2011.
- He was the director of the Biology Collection for Editorial Eunsa, a publishing company, from 1973 to 2000.
- He was a member of several scientific societies, including:
- The Spanish Society of Physiological Sciences (until 1975).
- The Royal Spanish Society of Natural History (until 2011).
- The Spanish Association of Entomology (until 2011).
- The European Society for Comparative Physiology and Biochemistry (until 1975).
- He was also part of an expert group for the European Research Network on Forest Ecosystems until 2009.
- Since 2016, he has been a member of the Institute of Economic and Social Research Francisco de Vitoria.
- He is an Honorary Professor at the Ricardo Palma University in Peru.
See also
In Spanish: Rafael Jordana para niños
