Marco Antonio Vargas Suárez is a doctoral student and researcher at the Universidad de Antofagasta in Chile, specializing in Engineering Sciences with a focus on Mineral Processes. He earned his Master's degree from the same institution, where his thesis introduced a methodology to evaluate technologies and quantify water circularity in process mining. In 2018, Marco graduated with a degree in Geology Engineering from the Universidad de Pinar del Río “Hermanos Saíz Montes de Oca” in Cuba. His thesis on unconventional oil was the first of its kind in the country. He furthered his specialization with a Diploma in Application of Geology-Geophysical Methods in Oil Exploration from the Polytechnic Petroleum Center.
Marco has participated as a co-investigator and thesis student in 8 investigation projects, highlighting his involvement in: "Integrating Circular Economy Strategies in Mineral Processing" (Project ANID/ACT210027), "FONDECYT regular" (Project 1211498), and "Fondo de investigación estratégica en Sequía" (Project FSEQ210023). He has presented his research at 5 international conferences and several local conferences, actively contributing to the dissemination of knowledge in his field.
Currently pursuing a PhD at the Universidad de Antofagasta, Marco collaborates with Dr. Luis Cisternas from the same university and Dr. Ana Carvalho from Instituto Superior Técnico de Lisboa. His doctoral research focuses on applying social life cycle analysis and stakeholder analysis to improve water treatment technologies in the mining sector.