Dr. Francisco Claro

After completion of undergraduate studies in Santiago, Francisco Claro obtained a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Oregon, USA. For several years he taught and did research in physics, publishing over 230 technical papers, essays, popularization articles and books. In 1993 he founded the national “Michael Faraday Prize”, given yearly to outstanding physics teachers in the country, later creating similar counterparts in chemistry, biology and mathematics. In 1995 he began work as an adviser to the Ministry of Education, soon becoming the person in charge of school curriculum reform in physics. In 2000 he founded “Iniciativa Profisica”, a support group that provides teaching aid to native Spanish high school physics teachers. Among several activites organized by Profisica, the Earth’s radius was measured and a solar irradiation map – incuding Antarctica and Easter Island – was created by children collaborating in over 100 schools throughout the country. In 2008-2011 Francisco Claro served as Dean of the School of Education at Universidad Católica de Chile, and since 2009 as Founding Director of Elige Educar. 

He has served as Director of Research and Graduate Studies for the Catholic University of Chile and has been a member of the National Science Council, President of the Chilean Physics Society and for several years Associate Member of the International Centre for Theoretical Physics in Trieste, Italy. He is a member of the Chilean Academy of Science and a Fellow of the American Physical Society