Marcelo Benitez joined KAUST in 2018 to pursue a Ph.D. in Energy Resources and Petroleum Engineering under the supervision of Prof. Carlos Santamarina. He holds a Master’s degree in Petroleum Engineering from the Technical University of Clausthal, Germany, and a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from the Universidad Tecnológica Equinoccial (UTE), Ecuador. Following his Ph.D., Marcelo became a Postdoctoral Fellow in Prof. William Roberts’ group, contributing to the Cryogenic Carbon Capture Project—one of KAUST’s National Initiatives focused on advancing sustainable emission reduction technologies.

Before joining KAUST, Marcelo worked for three years as a Lecturer in the Petroleum Engineering Department at the Central University of Ecuador and had over ten years of experience working in Upstream in the Oil and Gas industry. He has been deeply engaged in the KAUST community, serving as President of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Student Chapter, an Orientation Leader, and an active member of several student and sustainability organizations.

Marcelo’s contributions have been recognized with the 2022 Dean’s Award of Physical Science and Engineering and his selection as the 2024 Alumni Convocation Speaker. Beyond his academic and professional life, Marcelo enjoys hiking and road cycling with the Red Sea Cyclist Community Club at KAUST, where he currently serves as President.