title: Alfio Piva
text: # Alfio Piva
  
  Alfio Piva Mesén (born 9 January 1940) is a Costa Rican politician, veterinarian, scientist and environmentalist. He was the First Vice President of Costa Rica from 2010 to 2014. The Second Vice President during that interval was Luis Liberman.
  
  Piva obtained a Ph.D. in animal physiology from the University of Milan in Italy and co-founded the Veterinary School of the National University of Costa Rica. In 1995 he won the Prince of Asturias Award in Technical and Scientific Research along with his colleagues from INBio.
  
  