LAURA
ESTÉVEZ MAURIZ

Professor in the Department of Applied Physics at the University of León (Spain). An urban sound planner, she trained in Architecture in Guadalajara (Mexico) and Barcelona (Spain), continued her studies with a Master's degree in Acoustic Engineering and Vibrations in Valladolid (Spain) and subsequently with a Master's degree in Teacher Training (Technology) in León (Spain). After her time in Barcelona, she began her research career in acoustics as a research assistant at the University of León (Spain) and continued her career at Chalmers University of Technology (Gothenburg, Sweden), primarily through the EU-funded SONORUS project, where she obtained her PhD in Applied Acoustics. She has participated in several research projects working on the connection between urban planning and the sound environment. She has undertaken various pre-doctoral and doctoral research stays in Europe and Asia, notably her participation in the IDEA League Strategic Alliance Doctoral School on Urban Systems and Sustainability. As part of her ongoing research and work with the city, she completed a secondment to the municipality of Gothenburg, working closely with technicians on projects that link well-being, urban planning, and the environment. Among her most notable scholarships, she was awarded a Marie Curie European Fellowship for her predoctoral period and a national Margarita Salas Fellowship for her postdoctoral period. Currently, Laura works as a tenured lecturer in the Department of Applied Physics at the University of León (ULe) and is a member of the Atmospheric Environment Research Group (ATMOSENV), collaborating closely with the Edutools Teaching Practice Research Group at ULe. Her research focuses on urban sound planning, and she has published several research articles and presented papers at international conferences with a transdisciplinary approach. She has participated in 17 competitive research projects (in the fields of acoustics, planning, environmental pollution, educational practice, and research career development), as well as several contracts with municipalities and companies. Her work focuses on developing tools to control, communicate, and design the sound environment at a level superior to current solutions, enabling their inclusion in the early stages of the planning process. This is achieved through a holistic approach to the city, with the following lines of research: - Urban sound planning; traffic planning and its dynamics; new acoustic indicators. - Quality of life and urban health; the relationship between the sound environment and urban morphology; sound perception and vulnerable groups. - Spatial diversity, sound environment, and resilience. She is currently a member of the organizing committee for two important events in the field of acoustics: the Urban Sound Symposium 2027 (Berlin) and the Tecniacústica 2026 Congress (Granada). She also has experience in knowledge transfer activities aimed at the public and the professional sector. Furthermore, she has actively participated in educational innovation projects, the promotion of STEM careers, educational practice, and the development of research careers at European universities through the EURECA-PRO consortium of the European University Alliance. She is a member of the Spanish Acoustical Society and a founding member of the new Ibero-American Network called “Urbs Sonorum.”