Sergio Guillen Grillo, Ph.D.
About
Sergio earned his Ph.D. from the Crawford School of Public Policy at the Australian National University (ANU), where his doctoral research focused on social movement engagement with public deliberation. His academic background also includes a B.Eng. in Mechanical Engineering from Carleton University, an M.A. in Environmental Security and Peace from the U.N.-mandated University for Peace, and a Graduate Certificate in Natural Resources Organizational Management from the University of Michigan.
He worked for over a decade on sustainable energy policy and finance throughout Latin America, collaborating with leading U.S. government agencies, multilateral banks, and public interest organizations involved in international clean energy policy and rural electrification. After encountering diverse public interest conflicts related to energy infrastructure, he pursued training in conflict resolution, becoming an internationally certified mediator as well as an accredited conciliator with the Conflict Resolution Center of the Costa Rican Professional Body for Engineers and Architects (CFIA-CRC).
Sergio has worked for over 20 years as a researcher, practitioner, and trainer of public interest conflict analysis and resolution throughout Latin America. His work includes transboundary water management, labor relations, participatory policy analysis, and land-use management. He has co-authored multiple educational manuals and provided training to conservation, energy, and water management professionals and decision-makers from over fifteen Latin American countries. He has taught over 1,500 contact hours at the university level on engineering ethics, natural resource governance, environmental security, international negotiations, and public interest conflict management.
At the University of Virginia he has taught the course Engineering Ethics (STS 2600) and he designed and directs the UVA in Costa Rica J-Term study abroad program "Social Issues in Renewable Energy Governance." ( https://apps.educationabroad.virginia.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ViewProgramAngular&id=11420 )
Sergio is also Co-Director of the Online Ethics Center ( https://onlineethics.org/ ), housed at the Department of Engineering & Society of the University of Virginia.