About Paula

Paula Arboleda Zuluaga is a Radiation Protection Officer (RPO) and Radioactive Waste Management expert who has been with the Colombian Geological Survey (SGC) for over eight years and is directly involved in managing Colombia's centralized facility for handling the Radioactive Waste and Disused Radioactive Sources. She has over eight years' worth of operational experience with respect to safety, security, and the management of Radioactive Waste and more than 15 years of Research and Development (R&D) related to Nuclear and Radiological Applications. As an RPO, Paula's responsibilities include the compliance of regulatory requirements for operational radiation protection, characterization, conditioning, storage, and transport of radioactive waste and disused sources, with a strong focus on radioactive source security across the entire lifecycle. She is actively involved in inter-institutional agreements and coordinated work on technological protection and security of radioactive sources with national law enforcement, specialised Colombia's Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) units, and the national regulatory authority. In addition, Paula provides services such as a technical liaison with national, regional, and international networks, where she actively supports cooperation initiatives and the sharing of practical, field-based experience in nuclear and radiological security. Through her participation in international technical assistance and training activities—particularly in the Latin American region—she contributes to strengthening professional competencies and fostering a common understanding of safety and security challenges in real operational contexts. She was elected Secretary for Governance of Women in Nuclear (WiN) Colombia, where she contributes to institutional governance, professional networking, and the promotion of nuclear knowledge management, supporting knowledge sharing, capacity building, and the long-term sustainability of expertise in the nuclear and radiological field. Her professional interests include radioactive source security, security culture, non-intrusive characterization techniques, radioactive waste management, research in spent nuclear fuel management and deep geological disposal, and the integration of safety and security in operational practice. Paula holds a PhD in Engineering Sciences, a Master’s degree in Engineering, and a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Engineering. She is fluent in Spanish and English.

Area of expertise

Transport

Certification

CRSP