University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The Grainger College of Engineering
Civil & Environmental Engineering

Juan Casillas García de León

Juan Casillas García de León
Juan Casillas García de León (MS 51, PhD 61)
Professor (retired)
Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana

CEEAA Distinguished Alumni Award, 2018

For outstanding leadership and innovation in the startup and development of Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, a Federal Public University in Mexico; for visionary leadership and management in other educational institutions in Mexico; and for excellence in educational instruction in structural engineering, and lifelong dedication and generosity during nearly five decades of academic service.

Biography

Juan Casillas García de León graduated as Civil Engineer from Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico (UNAM) (1951), and earned M.S. (1957) and Ph.D. (1961) degrees at the University of Illinois. He then joined the School of Engineering faculty at UNAM, became head of the Graduate program in 1966 and Dean of the College in 1970. In 1974, a new federal public university, the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), was established and he was appointed Rector of the Azcapotzalco unit (one of three campuses).

His responsibilities included academic organization, selection of academic and administrative personnel, and definition of 16 programs, two of which were offered for the first time in Mexico: Environmental Engineering and Engineering and Applied Physics. Two years later, he was designated General Rector (President) of UAM´s three campuses. 

In 1985, he was appointed General Secretary of the National Association of Universities and Institutes of Higher Education, where he conducted the modernization of its statutes and established the National Program for the Development of Higher Education. He returned to UAM in 1993, was appointed distinguished professor in 1995, and retired in 2016.

He has been President of the National Association of Colleges of Engineering and of the Mexican Academy of Engineering, and served as Member of the Board of Governors at UNAM and of the Board of Directors at UAM. He was also a member of the Council of the National Commission for Human Rights and Secretary of the Administrative Council of PEMEX (Mexico’s national oil company).