Fey Silva Vidal
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Fey Yamina Silva Vidal | |
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Born | 1966 (age 58–59) Pashi, Monzón, Huamalíez, Huánuco |
Nationality | Peruvian |
Alma mater | PhD in Physical-Mathematical Sciences at the Russian State University of Hydrometeorology |
Scientific career | |
Institutions | Vice Minister of Strategic Development of Natural Resources at the Ministry of Environment (2022–2023) |
Fey Yamina Silva Vidal (born 1966, Huánuco.) is a Peruvian meteorologist,[1] and the first woman in her country to earn a PhD in Physical-Mathematical Sciences.[2] She has conducted pioneering research on climate variability and the El Niño phenomenon, enhancing climate prediction and variability modeling, particularly in the Peruvian Andes.[2][3] Her work has deepened scientific understanding of atmospheric processes and generated essential data to support climate change adaptation efforts.[1]
She has held several public appointments, notably serving as Vice Minister of Strategic Development of Natural Resources at the Ministry of Environment (Spanish: Ministerio del Ambiente, MINAM) in 2022,[4] and as Director of the Geophysical Institute of Peru (Spanish: Instituto Geofísico del Perú, IGP).[4] She currently serves as a lead researcher at the IGP, where she directs a research initiative aimed at elucidating the physical, dynamic, and microphysical processes governing climate variability in the Andes.[1]
Her scientific accomplishments have been recognized by the National Council of Science, Technology, and Innovation (Spanish: Consejo Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación, CONCYTEC). Since 2022, she has been a member of the Pro-Women in Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) Committee (Spanish: Comité Pro Mujer en CTI), serving as its president during the 2023–2024 term.[5]
Biography
[edit]Early age
[edit]At the age of 12, her family relocated to Lima due to escalating violence and insecurity in the Monzón Valley, which had become a focal point of terrorist activity and drug trafficking.[1] From an early age, she demonstrated a keen interest in meteorological phenomena, particularly the impact of the El Niño phenomenon on Peru.[1][2]
Studies
[edit]After completing high school, she received a scholarship from the National Institute of Scholarships and Educational Credit (Spanish: Instituto Nacional de Becas y Crédito Educativo,INABEC) to pursue meteorological studies at the Russian State University of Hydrometeorology. There, she earned both her master's degree and a PhD in Physico-Mathematical Sciences, which she completed in 1992.[1] [2] Her academic work centered on investigating the physical and dynamic processes of the atmosphere utilizing meteorological models and radar systems to analyze the underlying causes of climate variability and extreme weather phenomena.[2]
Career
[edit]After spending 13 years abroad, she returned to Peru in 1998 as the country's first female meteorologist to hold a doctoral degree. She joined Dr. Pablo Lagos at the Geophysical Institute of Peru (IGP) to develop a predictive model for rainfall associated with the El Niño phenomenon, serving as principal scientific researcher.[2] Since her return, she has continued her work at the IGP, concentrating on the evaluation of atmospheric conditions in Peru, the analysis of El Niño events, and the investigation of climate variability in the Andes across multiple temporal scales.[1]
Her research has also encompassed climate variability, extreme meteorological events, climate change, and atmospheric numerical modeling, leading numerous influential studies in these fields.[3] Since 2003, she has investigated the effects of climate variability in the Peruvian Andes, with particular emphasis on the Mantaro River basin and its response to climate change.[2] As part of these efforts, she founded the Atmospheric Microphysics and Radiation Laboratory (LAMAR) at the Huancayo Geophysical Observatory, enhancing the region's capacity to study atmospheric processes and their environmental implications.[1][4]
In August 2021, Silva assumed the role of Head of the Decentralized Office of the Central Macro Region at the National Institute for Research of Glacier and Mountain Ecosystems (Spanish: Instituto Nacional de Investigación en Glaciares y Ecosistemas de Montaña, INAIGEM).[6] During her tenure, she conducted research on the impacts of climate variability and the retreat of Andean glaciers in Peru, with a particular emphasis on the interaction between atmospheric dynamics and the cryosphere system.[2]
From March to December 2022, she served as Vice Minister for Strategic Development of Natural Resources at the Ministry of the Environment (MINAM).[4] Upon concluding her tenure at MINAM, she resumed her role at the IGP as a principal scientific researcher, a position she continues to hold.[1]
Yamina Silva possesses over two decades of academic experience as a university professor specializing in climate change and meteorology. Since 2021, she has lectured on climate change, risk management and contributed to the Master’s Program in Water at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru.[7]
Research
[edit]Her scholarly work centers on atmospheric and hydrospheric systems, with an emphasis on climate modeling, the projection of future climate scenarios, and the assessment of vulnerability and adaptive responses to climate change.[1]
Awards and recognitions
[edit]Yamina Silva became the first Peruvian meteorologist to earn a PhD in Physical-Mathematical Sciences, conferred by the Institute of Hydrometeorology of Russia.[2] In 2021, the National Council for Science, Technology and Innovation (CONCYTEC) recognized her scientific trajectory and featured her in the publication Women Scientists of Peru: 24 Stories to Discover.[1] She served as President of the Pro-Women in Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Committee during the 2023–2024 term.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Científicas del Perú: 24 historias por descubrir (in Spanish). Consejo Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación Tecnológica – Concytec. 2021. p. 53. ISBN 978-9972-50-198-2.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i EDITORA PERÚ Empresa Peruana de Servicios Editoriales S. A. (2022-08-08). "Yamina Silva, la meteoróloga que inspira a más peruanos con la ciencia". andina.pe (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-03-02.
- ^ a b "Yamina Silva". met.igp.gob.pe. Retrieved 2025-03-02.
- ^ a b c d "Yamina Silva Vidal es designada viceministra de Desarrollo Estratégico de los Recursos Naturales del Minam". www.gob.pe (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-03-02.
- ^ a b "CONCYTEC instala nueva conformación del Comité Pro Mujer en CTI 2024". www.gob.pe (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-03-02.
- ^ "Designan Director de la Oficina de Abastecimiento de la Oficina General de Administración del Ministerio". busquedas.elperuano.pe. Retrieved 2025-03-02.
- ^ PUCP. "Fey Yamina Silva Vidal de Millones". CV PUCP (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-02-27.