Alums

Lautaro Porma Favre

Lautaro Porma Favre is a GLOBE student from CEI San Ignacio an agro-technical school located in the rural area of ​​Junín de los Andes, Province of Neuquen, in the Patagonia region of Argentina. Porma Favre, eldest of six children, comes from Comallo (province of Río Negro) about 250 kms (155 miles) away from CEI San Ignacio and lives most of the academic year in the boarding facilities of the school. Having been trained in GLOBE for seven years, Proma Favre has developed considerable skill in scientific data gathering and research. Porma Favre remarked, "When I went to the school for the first time, I was only 12 years old. Now, seven years later, I realize that the GLOBE activities I have been doing during this time have changed my whole conception of what scientific research is all about and what this research can contribute to protect the environment."

Mostl recently, Proma Favre has helped to found and develop his school's science workshop, which supports student research and community service. Students participate voluntarily after school.

In 2010, Porma Favre was elected to represent young Argentines in the 1st Latin American Meeting of TUNZA. It was convened by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Latin America and the Caribbean. That year, with the advice of teacher Ana Prieto, Lautero, his brother Nazareno and three other students (Paul Calfulén, Hilsa Kruteler and Pablo Fuentes) carried out a research project entitled "The Availability of Water in North-West Patagonia Basin and Its Relationship to Solar Activity." Using GLOBE hydrology protocols, the students concluded that the increase in sunspots is negatively influencing the flow of rivers in Patagonia such as the Colorado, Carileuvú, Manso and Carrenleufú Rivers. In addition, the amount of water (river flow) is decreasing. In some cases the minimum flows at certain periods of the year, i.e. late summer, fail to meet the needs of the population, creating a water deficit, and becomes more contaminated.

Porma Favre and his Presentation

The team entered their research project in the Argentina Association of Sanitary Engineers (AIDIS) competition. Porma Favre was elected by his peers to present the research and traveled to the AIDIS's jury in Buenos Aires accompanied by Professor Jorge Pepe. The project was awarded 3rd place, a Junior Water Prize. Moreover, the students' research was published in the Sanitary Engineering magazine that sponsors AIDIS Argentina. Also of note: each author received a backpack and CEI "San Ignacio" received an invitation to continue presenting research papers related to water.

This same research won the AIC  (Interjurisdictional Basin Authority) prize when presented at the Third Conference of the Interdisciplinary Program at the University of Buenos Aires on Climate Change in November 2011 and took 2nd place in the Water Contest. At the same conference, "Extreme Events in the Upper Basins of Rivers Neuquén, Collon Cura and Limay " a paper was presented by GLOBE Alumni Marilina Sallaberry, with her teammates Miguel Antileo, Nancy Castillo, Danilo Morales, Amancay Parada, Yolanda Perez, Angelica Reinao and Jorge Velazquez.

Porma Favre's school, CEI San Ignacio, which has been implementing GLOBE in the curriculum for more than 10 years, is proud to see the number of students who leave to continue their studies in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects.

The Porma Favre Family

Porma Favre, who is planning to study Civil Engineering at the University of Buenos Aires, has inspired his teammates to continue working to understand the Earth Sciences. "I was proud to represent my country in 2009 at the first regional meeting of TUNZA, to develop a great research project along with four friends in 2010 and to go on to win prizes in international competitions in 2010 and 2011. Having had achievements like these ones at a young age, makes me realize that anything is possible. I am convinced that the GLOBE program protocols that we apply, and all the activities I've done in school, are what it made possible that I and other colleagues have been able to accomplish so much."