Hugo Ferrer Toledo

Bio

Dr. Hugo Oswaldo Ferrer Toledo is a civil and structural engineer with deep expertise in earthquake engineering, structural vulnerability, and seismic risk assessment. He holds a Ph.D. in Earth Sciences from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), and master’s and bachelor’s degrees in structural engineering from UPAEP.

Currently, Dr. Ferrer serves as Professor of Professional Practice and Interim Director of the Endeavor Laboratory at Oklahoma State University’s College of Engineering, Architecture, and Technology (CEAT). Over more than 25 years in higher education, he has served as Dean of the College of Engineering at UPAEP, where he led academic, strategic, and infrastructure growth across multiple engineering disciplines—including civil, mechanical, electrical, electronics, industrial, bionics, mechatronics, and automotive engineering. Under his leadership, UPAEP launched groundbreaking programs such as Biotechnology and Aerospace Engineering, significantly increased enrollment, and built state-of-the-art engineering and veterinary laboratories.

As Dean, he was instrumental in establishing the university’s Aerospace Engineering program and laboratory platform that enabled AztechSat-1—the first CubeSat designed and built by a Mexican university, successfully deployed from the International Space Station in collaboration with NASA—positioning UPAEP as a leader in aerospace education and innovation in Latin America.

Dr. Ferrer also directed UPAEP’s seismic instrumentation network, overseeing the design, installation, and management of accelerometric stations whose data became foundational for seismic risk studies and informed state civil protection planning. Parallel to his academic roles, he is the founder of IIDENA (Ingeniería e Innovación en Desastres Naturales), a consulting firm specialized in structural safety, geotechnical assessments, and disaster risk mitigation, through which he has led numerous projects across the public and private sectors.

Throughout his career, Dr. Ferrer has served as an ABET and CACEI evaluator, contributed to national technical commissions reviewing Mexico’s seismic design codes, and supervised dozens of undergraduate and graduate theses. His consulting, teaching, and research span civil, structural, geotechnical, seismic, and materials engineering, as well as educational innovation in engineering mechanics and laboratory instruction.

Dr. Ferrer’s research integrates geotechnical and structural engineering with disaster risk reduction to enhance seismic safety and urban resilience. His primary interests include:

• Earthquake engineering and seismic hazard analysis
• Seismic microzonation, site effects, and local amplification studies
• Structural vulnerability assessment of historical and critical infrastructure
• Dynamic soil characterization and soil-structure interaction
• GIS-based risk mapping and multivariate statistical modeling
• Innovation in engineering education, especially in mechanics, statics, and materials science

He actively seeks interdisciplinary and international collaborations that promote seismic risk mitigation, resilient urban development, and transformative learning experiences.