Dr. Nelson Anaya Archila is an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Wilkes and is currently teaching his first semester.
Anaya Archila is native to Columbia, a country in the northern region of South America, right below the country Panama. He has his bachelor’s degree from the Industrial University of Santander in mechanical engineering, a master’s from the University of Puerto Rico in civil engineering and his doctor of civil and environmental engineering from the University of Rhode Island
He teaches classes in principles of environmental engineering, fluid mechanics, solid waste, hydrogeology, principles of nanotechnology, nanotools, CADD, air quality, advanced CADD and GIS methods.
Anaya Archilla has returned to Wilkes after spending time at California State Polytechnic University, Humbold.
“I was here for four years, and during COVID, there was the opportunity to go to California. I decided to leave my comfort zone and try to be exposed to this big university. It was a great opportunity because at least 50 percent of the students, they were from minorities,” said Anaya Archilla.
In his spare time, he enjoys the game of soccer and interacting with many of the Panamanian students that are on campus.
He is looking to help create opportunities for his students and wants to do more for them. He wants to send them to conferences and create memories with all of them.
Anaya Archila described his academic background in engineering as broad, which has led to him doing a wide variety of different research projects. He has done research in synthesis, application and toxicity of nanomaterials, fate and transport of pollutants, water quality and fluid dynamics.
Anaya Archila is very proud of the research that he has conducted and enjoys talking about it with others. He spoke about how it is this research that will help people discover solutions to the current problems in order to move on to the next ones.
Anaya Archila has won numerous awards including fellowship awards from the department of energy in Puerto Rico and the department of transportation in Rhode Island and the Student Travel Award from the Sustainable Nanotechnology Organization
When asked what he loves most about his job, he said he loves to be in the classroom and he loves to accommodate his students so that they can learn in the best way possible.