Dr. Doris Abigal Chi Pool, professor of the Architecture Department at Universidad de las Américas Puebla, became a member of the Solarlits editorial council, an important international media that publishes vanguard research in solar energy and illumination. She is the only Mexican representative.
Dr. Chi has a doctorate in Architecture and specializes in studies of natural illumination and energy efficiency. She is the only Mexican in the select group of 36 members of this editorial council, a space made up of academics from Malaysia, Jordan, the United States, Indonesia, Serbia, Egypt, the United Kingdom, China, and others. The UDLAP faculty member will collaborate with the Journal of Daylighting magazine, which began its biannual publication in 2014.
“This magazine focuses on natural light, from an energy efficiency standpoint, on visual comfort, colorimetry, people’s health, and psychological aspects. It also includes topics on artificial light, illumination design, projects and the way to develop them, and on their psychological benefits for people. In the area of solar energy, there are studies of photovoltaic systems and electrical energy savings,” she stated.
She assumed her role as part of the council thanks to the articles she has published, which led to receiving an invitation from Solarlits’ chief editor: “I got an email asking if I wanted to be a member of the editorial committee, explaining the benefits and the responsibilities it implied, and what my participation in the magazine would be,” she added. As part of her activities, the UDLAP faculty member must review articles from researchers around the world. This “is carried out objectively: I make corrections and observations and the authors make the necessary adjustments to present the final project. It is a joint effort.” Finally, she explained that being in contact with vanguard topics on illumination, design, systems, and technology allows her to be aware of the latest developments, which undoubtedly benefits her teaching.
It is important to remember that topics regarding illumination are concentrated in a few research areas, and that thanks to the participation of professors as members of magazine boards – as Dr. Doris Chi in this one, indexed by Scopus, CrossRef, and the Directory of Open Access Journals – UDLAP’s faculty are positioned as authorities in internationally recognized research.
If you wish to learn more about the magazine, visit https://solarlits.com/