Professor Rodolfo Cortés, who recently passed away, was closely associated with the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV) since its inception. Previously, starting in October 1974, he taught Archaeology at Division VII of the University of Barcelona (UB), officially joining the Tarragona university in July 1992. His work was fundamental in recovering and promoting the city's Roman heritage.

In 1988, alongside archaeologist Eudald Carbonell, Cortés launched the UB Archaeology Laboratory in Tarragona (LAUBT), which covered both prehistory and classical archaeology. Following the creation of the URV, this institution was transformed into the Tarragona University Archaeology Laboratory (LAUT), which eventually evolved into the current IPHES-CERCA (Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution).

One of the LAUT's most significant achievements was the discovery, in 1995 and in collaboration with Carbonell, of the first archaeological remains dating back one million years at the Barranc de la Boella, located in La Canonja, which were exposed by heavy rains.

Between 1994 and 2002, Cortés directed the URV Archaeological Service, a crucial training ground for future archaeologists. During this period, momentous excavations were carried out in the capital of Tarragona, including those at the Plaça de la Font (for the current parking lot), the arena of the Roman Circus, and the grounds of the Parc Central shopping center, where an important Paleochristian basilica was unearthed.

He also served as director of the Institute of Archaeology and Ancient World Studies (IAEMA) until the establishment of the Catalan Institute of Classical Archaeology (ICAC). Cortés held the title of University Professor from 1985 until his retirement in 2007, and remained Professor Emeritus of the URV until 2013.