
Dr. Jorge Membrillo-Hernández is a Mexican biotechnologist and educator, currently a full-time research professor at Tecnológico de Monterrey’s Mexico City campus, affiliated with the Institute for the Future of Education and the School of Engineering and Sciences. He holds a Ph.D. in Environmental and Sustainable Biotechnology from King’s College London and completed postdoctoral research at the University of Sheffield and Harvard. His research initially focused on ecological microbiology and sustainable biotechnology, including conservation efforts in natural protected areas. A leading expert in Challenge-Based Learning (CBL), Dr. Membrillo-Hernández is the most published author worldwide on CBL. He was central in integrating CBL into the Tec21 educational model at Tecnológico de Monterrey. He is a leader member of the Socially-Oriented Interdisciplinary STEM Education Research Group. Internationally, he has presented the Tec21 model at institutions like Eindhoven University of Technology and has collaborated with NASA on training models for future engineers. He serves on editorial boards for Education Sciences, Frontiers in Education, and Heliyon, and is President of the Mexico Section of IGIP (International Society for Engineering Pedagogy). Scopus Link.
Dr.
Jorge Membrillo-Hernández is a Mexican biotechnologist and educator. He is a full-time research professor at the Tecnológico de Monterrey’s Mexico City campus and is affiliated with the Institute for the Future of Education and the
School of Engineering and Sciences.
Academic
Background and Research
Dr.
Membrillo-Hernández earned his Ph.D. in Environmental and Sustainable
Biotechnology from King’s College London, University of London. He completed
postdoctoral research at both the University of Sheffield and Harvard
University. His early research focused on ecological microbiology and
sustainable biotechnology, including projects related to conserving ecological heritage areas and transforming organic waste into
sustainable agricultural inputs.
Leadership
in Challenge-Based Learning (CBL)
Dr.
Membrillo-Hernández is a global leader in Challenge-Based Learning (CBL), an
educational approach that engages students in solving real-world problems. He
is the most published researcher worldwide on this topic, with over 40 articles
indexed in the Scopus database. At Tecnológico de Monterrey, he has successfully
implemented the Tec21 educational model, which integrates CBL across all
undergraduate programs.
International
Engagement and Recognition
Dr.
Membrillo-Hernández has shared his expertise globally, including presenting the
Tec21 model at Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands to over
200 international educators, being a Keynote speaker in different Education
conferences and has also collaborated with NASA on educational projects,
contributing to the development of training models for future engineers
involved in missions like Artemis, which aims to return humans to the Moon and
eventually reach Mars.
Editorial
Roles and Professional Affiliations
He
serves as an editor for journals such as Education Sciences, Frontiers in
Education, and Heliyon. Additionally, he is the President of the Mexico Section
of the International Society for Engineering Pedagogy (IGIP). For more
information on his research and publications, you can visit his ResearchGate
profile or his Scopus
author page.