UMH will confer the title of Doctor Honoris Causa upon astrophysicist Valentín Martínez Pillet
Opening ceremonies, Honoris Causa, Rector's News
9 September 2026
Valentín Martínez Pillet, Director of the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands, will be awarded an honorary doctorate by Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH) during the official opening of the 2026/27 academic year, following approval by the UMH Governing Council. The investiture ceremony will take place on September 16, and Mari Carmen Perea, a professor in the UMH Department of Applied Mathematics, will serve as the new honorary doctor’s sponsor.
Martínez Pillet visited the UMH in March, where he gave the lecture “When the Day Goes Dark”—a talk about the solar eclipse that will cross Spain in August.
A native of Alicante, Valentín Martínez holds a degree in Physics and a PhD in Astrophysics from the University of La Laguna (Tenerife) and has published over 90 articles in scientific journals.
Caption: Martínez Pillet during his visit to the UMH, delivering the lecture “When the Day Fades.”
Caption: Rector Juan José Ruiz, astrophysicist Valentín Martínez, Vice-Rector Susi Amorós, and Professor Mari Carmen Perea—sponsor of the new Honorary Doctor. Source: UMH Archive.