Scharifker Benjamin R.

Professor Emeritus at Simón Bolívar University (USB) in Caracas, Venezuela. After earning his PhD in Physical Chemistry from the University of Southampton, UK, he joined the USB faculty in 1980, founding an electrochemistry research group. He advanced through roles as Department Head, Research Dean, Vice Rector, and ultimately Rector (2005–2009), later serving as Rector of Universidad Metropolitana (2011–2021). Dr. Scharifker has published over 120 peer-reviewed papers, accumulating more than 10,000 citations (h-index = 44), and holds three patents. He served as Assistant Director of the Hydrogen Center at Texas A&M University (1984–1986), and the Board of Directors of the National Council for Scientific and Technological Research, CONICIT (1994-1999). He is a member of the Latin American Academy of Sciences and past President (2009-2011) of the Venezuelan Academy of Physical, Mathematical and Natural Sciences. His pioneering research earned him the Tajima Prize (1986), the CONICIT Prize in Chemistry (1991), and the Lorenzo Mendoza Fleury Science Prize (1993).