Puerto Rican restorer elected fellow of leading international conservation institute

Puerto Rican conservator-restorer and university professor Héctor J. Berdía Hernández, 31, has become the youngest fellow elected in the London-based International Institute for the Conservation of Historical and Artistic Works’ more than 75-year history and only the second Puerto Rican to receive the distinction.

By THE STAR STAFF

Puerto Rican conservator-restorer and university professor Héctor J. Berdía Hernández has been elected a fellow of the International Institute for the Conservation of Historical and Artistic Works (IIC), one of the main international distinctions in the field of cultural heritage conservation.

At 31 years old, Berdía Hernández becomes the youngest fellow elected in the London-based IIC’s more than 75-year history and only the second Puerto Rican to receive the distinction. He was preceded by curator-restorer José H. Orraca of Cayey, who has been recognized internationally for his pioneering contributions to the conservation of photographic collections in museums, archives and libraries.

Election as an IIC Fellow is one of the main marks of professional distinction internationally recognized in the field of cultural heritage conservation. Out of a community of members in more than 70 countries, just over 420 currently hold the category of fellow.

The fellowship recognizes professionals whose trajectory and contributions have promoted the development of the discipline, enriched the international community in the field of conservation, and demonstrated excellence in the study, care and preservation of cultural heritage.

Nominations are evaluated by the IIC Fellowship Committee and Council before sometimes being formally voted on by the organization’s fellows.

“I receive this distinction with deep gratitude and a great sense of responsibility toward our profession,” Berdía Hernández said. “Being elected by the IIC Fellows is one of the greatest honors of my career and also represents an opportunity to continue to make myself visible in the work that is carried out from Puerto Rico and the Caribbean to protect, study and conserve our cultural heritage.”

Berdía Hernández serves as a professor of Cultural Heritage Conservation at the University of Puerto Rico (UPR), Río Piedras Campus, and as general director of the Puerto Rico Center for Conservation and Restoration, or CENCOR. His professional career includes the conservation, research, education and management of cultural heritage, with special attention to historical construction materials, preventive conservation, collection care and heritage management.

He is a graduate of UPR and holds a master of science degree in historic preservation from the University of Pennsylvania, with a specialization in the conservation of construction materials. He also studied conservation science at Georgetown University and at the Università degli Studi di Firenze in Florence, Italy. He is currently pursuing graduate studies in museology and nonprofit management at Harvard University.

Throughout his career he has received more than a dozen awards and recognitions, including the Emerging Leader Award from the American Institute for Conservation (AIC), awarded in 2023. He has also held professional leadership positions at AIC and participates in international organizations and networks linked to the conservation and protection of cultural heritage.

Berdía Hernández will formally receive the distinction in person during the IIC’s Biennial Congress, which will be held later this month in Ghent, Belgium.