Estefany Vizuete

In a context of increasing climate chaos, cities face the urgent need to adapt. This presentation starts from that premise to address a concrete proposal: building urban resilience beginning with housing. A technical approach will be presented, based on applied solutions that respond to the need to reduce the environmental impact of construction while ensuring adequate living conditions in urban environments.

Building on this technical foundation, a space for analysis will be opened to explore how the climate crisis affects women differently and why their active participation—in design, decision-making, and implementation—is essential to achieve truly just, effective, and transformative urban resilience.

Biography:

Estefany Vizuete is a Mechanical Engineer from the Escuela Politécnica Nacional (EPN). During her student years, she held representative roles in the Student Federation, university councils, and served as president of the Commission for the Eradication of Violence, Harassment, and Discrimination (CEVAD), promoting student participation, the defense of rights, and gender equity.

She is currently a research assistant in the SCINERGY group, where she works on developing technical solutions for sustainable and resilient cities. Her work focuses on studying thermal comfort in housing, evaluating construction materials to minimize embodied energy, and sustainable design strategies adapted to the equatorial context.

She has participated in applied research projects such as the EQA House, a model of resilient housing that integrates energy efficiency, sustainability, and climate adaptation.

Estefany recognizes that urban resilience cannot be addressed solely from a technical perspective. She believes it is essential for women to actively participate in design, research, and decision-making processes, as they are among those most affected by the impacts of the climate crisis.

She combines her role as a researcher with a passion for scientific outreach and collaborative work, promoting an engineering practice committed to life, the environment, and social justice.

Paola Suárez

This lecture explores the often-overlooked importance of soft skills for STEM professionals. It highlights how communication, teamwork, adaptability, and leadership are critical to career success and problem-solving, and addresses the challenges of developing these skills in technically-focused fields.