Staff

Dr. Edwin Puertas

Research professor

Artificial Intelligence Software Architect and Natural Language Processing (NLP) Researcher, with 20 years of experience in both academic and professional settings. He currently serves as Director of the Ph.D. and Master’s Programs in Engineering at Universidad Tecnológica de Bolívar and is an active member of the Artificial Intelligence Standards Committee. His work focuses on bridging the gap between academic research and practical industry applications, leading innovative projects in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

As an AI software architect, Edwin designs and implements scalable systems that leverage advanced machine learning techniques to address complex challenges across various sectors. His NLP research explores the intricacies of human language, developing solutions that enhance human-computer interaction and optimize natural language understanding.

His commitment to innovation has been recognized through multiple fellowships and awards supporting pioneering AI projects. As a senior member of the IEEE, he actively participates in international conferences and workshops, contributing to the development of global standards and best practices in Artificial Intelligence.

Dr. Juan Carlos Martinez

Research professor

Electronic Engineer, Master in Electric Power from Universidad Industrial de Santander. Ph.D. from Northeastern University, Boston. Fulbright–DNP–Colciencias Scholar (2007). Researcher and professor at Universidad Tecnológica de Bolívar since 2004.

Dr. Jairo Serrano Castañeda

Research professor

Systems Engineer graduated from the Universidad Tecnológica de Bolívar and Master’s in Free Software from the Universidad Autónoma de Bucaramanga. PhD candidate in Engineering at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, developing Social Simulations by applying Artificial Intelligence in Multi-Agent Systems on Distributed Servers.

With over 23 years of professional experience, he serves as an Assistant Professor at the Universidad Tecnológica de Bolívar, where he has made significant contributions to academic training and research development.

He is a Senior Member of the IEEE, a member of the Colombian Computer Society, and co-founder of the IEEE Caribbean Colombia Section.

Melissa Moreno

Research assistant

Mathematics graduate and a Ph.D. candidate in Engineering, with a focus on Electronics and Computing at Universidad Tecnológica de Bolívar. She is currently a beneficiary of Minciencias’ Call 933. Her research trajectory includes the analysis of gender gaps in university programs within the STEM field. Her research interests are centered on the development and implementation of artificial intelligence models aimed at optimizing career guidance processes and the early detection of academic dropout in STEM disciplines.

Andrea Menco Tovar

Research assistant

Mathematics graduate and holds a Master’s in Applied Statistics from Universidad Tecnológica de Bolívar. She is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Engineering, with a focus on Electronics and Computing, at Universidad Tecnológica de Bolívar. She is also a beneficiary of Minciencias’ Call 933 for national doctoral training with a territorial, ethnic, and gender focus within the framework of the Policy Oriented by Missions. Her research interests lie in image processing, computer vision, data science, and applied statistics.

Anderson Morillo

Research assistant

AI researcher and Systems Engineer with a strong academic and practical background in Natural Language Processing (NLP) , Master’s student in engineering (2026)

Jeison D. Jimenez

Research assistant

Received his degree in Mechanical Engineering and Mechatronics from Universidad Tecnológica de Bolívar, Cartagena, Colombia. He is currently pursuing his M.S. degree in Engineering with emphasis in Systems and Computing at the same institution. He works as an Innovation Professional in the Artificial Intelligence area at SERINGTEC S.A.S, and serves as a Research Assistant at Universidad Tecnológica de Bolívar. He has experience developing industrial solutions involving computer vision, natural language processing, and Large Language Models (LLMs). His research interests include natural language processing, computer vision, deep learning, machine learning, sentiment analysis with AI, and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) systems. He has contributed to various projects focusing on AI applications in industrial environments.

Daniel Peña Gnecco

Research assistant

Computer and Systems Engineering graduate, currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Engineering at Universidad Tecnológica de Bolívar, Cartagena, Colombia. As a Research Assistant, he specializes in Artificial Intelligence and Natural Language Processing (NLP), contributing to projects that develop solutions for semantic understanding in fields such as gastronomy, entertainment, and biomedicine.

His work focuses on designing advanced systems for automatic translation, entity recognition, and improving the accuracy of language models through innovative approaches, delivering high-impact solutions.