A Solana Beach scholar and native of Oaxaca, Mexico, has earned a place in the prestigious national Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program to advance her undergraduate studies at UC Berkeley.

Karla “Ranger” Trujillo, former program and marketing director for La Colonia de Eden Gardens, Inc., will complete and publish independent research as a McNair Scholar ahead of her anticipated graduation from Berkeley in 2022. The award will help Trujillo move toward earning a master’s degree and ultimately a doctoral degree in education. 

The advanced degrees will complement Trujillo’s work as an anthropologist during the past 20 years.

In addition to her undergraduate studies, Trujillo serves at Berkeley’s statewide office for the University Community Links Network.

In Solana Beach, Trujillo partnered with La Colonia de Eden Gardens, Inc. to create Teenology Rangers, a youth and family leadership program based on science, art and nature.

“Her leadership, energy, enthusiasm, creativity, ethics and values have helped us to serve our community in a more significant and meaningful way,” said President Manny Aguilar. “She promotes trust with our native community.”

As a child, Trujillo attended public schools in Carlsbad. Later, she earned associate’s degrees from MiraCosta College in anthropology and university studies. Her education began in a rural town in Oaxaca. At an early age, she developed a passion to unite and serve.

As a McNair Scholar, her research will focus on how to provide tools for youth and family members to better develop as healthy individuals despite trauma that may be suffered. Trujillo’s Teenology Rangers program has demonstrated the power of science, art and nature as tools to strengthen relationships and build identity.

Trujillo herself has persevered despite the challenges of her undocumented status during the past 28 years. She attributes her resilience to having become a master of delayed gratification.

“It has been difficult but if I can do it, anyone can,” Trujillo said. “It is our duty to reach for the stars in honor of Ronald B. McNair.”

Ronald E. McNair was an American NASA astronaut and physicist. After his death in the Challenger explosion in 1986, members of Congress provided funding for the Ronald B. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program to encourage students from underrepresented groups in fields of higher learning.

Learn more at www.lceg.org.

~ The original story was posted on January 15, 2021 on DelMarTimes.net. 

Of the 16 graduating Baylor University McNair Scholars, 13 will continue their education this fall at prestigious graduate programs throughout the country and at Baylor in a variety of fields, including psychology, microbiology, library science and health studies.

Baylor McNair Scholars Program wraps up second year and announces new students

By Kaitlyn Rieper, marketing specialist, Baylor Marketing and Brand Strategy

WACO, Texas (May 4, 2020) – The Baylor University Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program, known nationally as the McNair Scholars Program, is wrapping up an impressive 2019-2020 academic year with an inaugural national McNair Research Conference held in September and Baylor’s largest graduating cohort of McNair Scholars.

The program prepares low-income, first-generation and other underrepresented students to gain the knowledge and skills required to successfully navigate a path to a Ph.D. program following graduation through immersion in research and a variety of scholarly activities.

Baylor McNair Scholars are paired with faculty mentors who help guide student research and encourage academic development. Students can apply to be a McNair Scholar as early as their sophomore year.

“From our inaugural class to now, our McNair Scholars continue to be inspiring students,” said Steven Fernandez, director of the McNair Scholars Program at Baylor. “A huge benefit of the program is being able to break down some of the intimidating aspects of pursuing graduate school. Our faculty mentors are particularly key in supporting and inspiring our students and opening up opportunities for them in all fields.”

Of the 16 graduating McNair Scholars, 13 will continue their education this fall at prestigious graduate programs throughout the country and at Baylor in a variety of fields, including psychology, microbiology, library science and health studies.

Jesse Martinez, a fall 2019 graduate, took advantage of the spring semester to work as a research technician in a Baylor chemistry lab before he heads to the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the fall as a chemistry doctoral candidate. He also has received Wisconsin’s Pei Wang Fellowship.

“Baylor’s McNair program had a direct hand in the number of graduate schools I applied to. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t have had the resources, or likely the motivation, to apply to 10 graduate programs,” Martinez said.

Martinez recently received Honorable Mention for the 2020 National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP). The NSF awards Honorable Mentions to meritorious applicants who did not receive Fellowship awards, but are recognized for significant academic achievement, making Honorable Mentions prestigious for the highly competitive NSF GRFP.

“Additionally, they supported my research not only in the lab, but at conferences and symposiums by bringing relevant events to my attention and helping me plan,” Martinez said. “During these conferences, I was able to meet key leaders in my respective field and make an early impression on them. I can say without a doubt I wouldn’t have received as many acceptances and fellowships as I did without the support offered by the McNair program.”

Graduating Scholars were accepted to top research graduate programs across the nation —Johns Hopkins University, Columbia University, Vanderbilt University, UCLA, UT Southwestern Medical Center, the University of Missouri, Colorado State University, Purdue University and more — with three of the scholars choosing to stay at Baylor in the fall to pursue degrees through the Baylor Graduate School.

“I was blessed to have been accepted to various graduate programs. I chose to stay at Baylor due to the experience I have had with Baylor faculty and staff. The McNair Scholars Program surrounded me with loving and supportive people who consistently encouraged, advised and invested their time into my success,” said Treasure Ramirez, McNair Doctoral Fellowship recipient who will be returning to Baylor in the fall as a doctoral candidate.

“I was gifted the opportunity to work with an unbelievably understanding, patient and dedicated faculty member, Dr. Emily Smith, professor of epidemiology and global health,” Ramirez said. “She helped me uncover what was always within myself: my light, my passion, my vision and most of all, my voice. Since I will be continuing my education at Baylor, I will be able to conduct research with Dr. Smith and many other impactful faculty members.”

The program, named for the late NASA astronaut and laser physicist Dr. Ronald E. McNair, supports 25 students each year through a Department of Education-funded grant. As the graduating Scholars look forward to continuing their academic studies, a new cohort is preparing to dive into research with their faculty mentors.

“We’ve had a very exciting year, and we are thrilled to be closing it out with such an accomplished and academically gifted group of students. Being able to watch these students grow and find the right path for them has been incredible. I know that they will continue doing amazing things,” Fernandez said. “The McNair Scholars Program is looking forward the next group of brilliant Baylor students.”

New McNair Scholars Announced

The 2020-2021 cohort of McNair Scholars and their faculty mentors:

• Victoria Anozie, junior psychology major, faculty mentor: JoAnn Tsang, Ph.D., psychology and neuroscience.
• Triniti Armstrong, senior mechanical engineering major, faculty mentor: Michael Korpi, Ph.D., film and digital media.
• Vincent Bozinov, senior neuroscience major, faculty mentor: Michael Scullin, Ph.D., psychology and neuroscience.
• Ryley Bruggeman, sophomore anthropology major, faculty mentor: Kelli Barr, Ph.D., biology.
• Erin Cleary, senior health, kinesiology and leisure studies major, faculty mentor: Jason Paltzer, Ph.D., public health.
• Nathan Cumberbatch, senior neuroscience major, faculty mentor: Michael Scullin., Ph.D., psychology and neuroscience.
• Princess Dang, sophomore political science major, faculty mentor not yet selected.
• Jennifer De La Fuente, senior Latin American studies major, faculty mentor: Victor J. Hinojosa, Ph.D., Baylor Honors College.
• Carla-Cristina Edwards, senior biology major, faculty mentor: Jason Pitts, Ph.D., biology.
• Gabriela Fierro, senior environmental science, faculty mentor: Brian Thomas, electrical and computer engineering.
• Tierra Foley, junior engineering major, faculty mentor: Keith E. Schubert, Ph.D., electrical and computer engineering.
• Kaylee Hogness, junior anthropology major, faculty mentor: Davide Zori, Ph.D., Baylor Interdisciplinary Core.
• Melissa Leon Norena, junior biology major, faculty mentor: Jason Pitts, Ph.D., biology.
• Andrew Lindbloom, junior anthropology major, faculty mentor: Alan Schultz, Ph.D., anthropology.
• Sophia Lopez, junior biology major, faculty mentor: Bessie Kebaara, Ph.D., biology.
• Ethan Reyes, junior math major, faculty mentor: Robert Kirby, Ph.D., mathematics.
• Alexis Simmons, junior physics and math major, faculty mentor: Jeffrey Olafsen, Ph.D., physics.
• Batool Unar Syed, junior biology major, faculty mentor: Jason Pitts, Ph.D., biology.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 18,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 90 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.

Karla Badillo-Urquiola ’14 ’15MS strives to break stereotypes through her work and her community activism.

The awards are piling up for UCF McKnight Fellow Karla Badillo-Urquiola ’14 ’15MS who in the past two months has been named a McKnight Award winner and an Order of Pegasus Award recipient.

Badillo-Urquiola, a doctoral candidate in modeling and simulation, is committed to academic excellence, diversifying the STEM field and making an impact in her community.

Badillo-Urquiola’s research focuses on investigating the challenges teens in the foster care system face online and ways to empower them to have more control of their online safety.

“Teens in the foster care system are some of the most vulnerable to the most serious online sexual risks, such as sex trafficking,” says Badillo-Urquiola, who earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and master’s in modeling and simulation.  “My goal is to understand the ‘why’ and ‘how,’ and find tangible solutions to help them engage safely online.”

Seeking to understand teens within the foster community does not end in the lab. Through her volunteer work with the Foundation for Foster Children, she connects with teens and ensures her work is grounded in their reality.

“I want to have a direct impact on the people I interact with daily,” says Badillo-Urquiola, who also serves as an ambassador for an anti-sex trafficking nonprofit organization. To her it is invaluable to first understand her “users” before interpreting her data.

The Russell V. Ewald Academic Excellence and Order of Pegasus Awards are presented to students who sufficiently demonstrate their commitment to academic excellence and to community service; Badillo-Urquiola uniquely takes this initiative to heart by improving her research through her community service, and she hopes in the end helping the community.

As a Latina, she takes pride in being a role model for minority women and breaking stereotypes through her academic work and community activism. Badillo-Urquiola says she is no stranger to the assumptions that can often arise because of gender, ethnicity and her identity as a mother. She is expecting her second child while balancing the pursuit of a doctorate degree.

There tends to be an unspoken rule that you must choose between the roles of mother and student, and the current climate of STEM does little to dispel this mentality, she says.

“In academia we have this sense of culture where you have to be ‘more professional’ and family doesn’t seem to fit into that mentality,” says Badillo-Urquiola.

But Badillo-Urquiola is an example that being an excellent professional and having a family is achievable. After earning her degree, she plans on becoming a tenured professor.

She says that when she succeeds, she will join the 1 percent of Latinas nationwide that are tenured faculty at universities.

She will be presenting her research during Student Research Week March 30-April 3.

~ The original story was written by Simone Rosseau on February 26, 2020, in UCF Today. 

Raymundo Lopez, who is on track to receive a degree in both political science and French from Sonoma State this spring, has overcome many obstacles in his life, including spending his childhood in the foster care system with his four brothers and sisters.

Since coming to Sonoma State in 2014, Lopez, who grew up and relocated numerous times in the San Diego area, says he has drawn on his past experiences to motivate him to help others. Lopez has conducted research on the legislative process and equity in the electoral arena and has even interned for the Center for Civil and Political Rights in Africa addressing human rights concerns.

“I think for me, coming from the foster care system, my whole theme and my journey throughout college, and in my research, has been the disenfranchised,” said Lopez. “I think that’s just part of my identity.”

In honor of his work and accomplishments, the American Political Science Association has named Lopez a Minority Fellowship Program Fellow for 2020-2021. The fellowship, established in 1969 to increase the number of under-represented scholars in political science fields, will help Lopez get into a Ph.D. program where he wants to research into Latino politics and minority rights.

Part of that research has already begun with Lopez’s work as a McNair Scholar where he is assessing electoral rights in U.S. territories such as Puerto Rico, American Samoa and Guam. As a McNair Scholar, Lopez is one of only 28 students selected each year, typically underserved financially or underrepresented ethnically, to receive assistance on making the transition from undergraduate to graduate or Ph.D. work.

“Ray is such an exemplary student and has really tapped into all the resources available to him on campus,” said Daniel Malpica, director of the McNair Scholars Program at SSU. “He has had to deal with so many barriers, but he always figures out how to jump over them. He understands that as a first-generation student you need a support system and to rely on people that care for you.”

Despite Lopez’s dedication to his research, he hasn’t always had academics to lean on. Lopez said that because both his foster parents were immigrants from Mexico, there wasn’t an emphasis at home for him to do well in school. “They had no prior background in higher education,” he said. “It was super pivotal for me to have guidance from not only my social worker’s but from mentors and teachers in high school.”

Once at Sonoma State, Lopez didn’t find the transition an easy one. “My first couple months I hated it here coming from a big city to a small one,” he said. “But I really have come to love the city and the campus because it’s where I actually began to become myself. SSU allowed me to finally be able to pursue the things that I wanted to do.”

The now 23-year-old did use the resources available to him to explore other parts of the world. One of the most impactful experiences was his travel abroad experience to France in his junior year, where he stayed with a host family who also were fostering two younger girls at the time.

“I went because I was already exposed to the Latino community and I wanted to explore more of the world,” said Lopez. “And then being able to stay with that family and have an opportunity to mentor those girls in their situation, it just felt like something that was supposed to happen.”

Looking to the future, Lopez has already received acceptance into Michigan State’s Ph.D. program for the fall and is awaiting responses for his seven other applications. Lopez said his ultimate goal is to fund his own news organization geared towards minority and electoral rights for poor people who are disenfranchised anywhere in the world.

With Lopez’s time at SSU coming to an end, he said he wouldn’t be where he is without the small university that he originally didn’t appreciate. “I think every semester I’ve been able to utilize the resources here at Sonoma State,” he said. “Whether it’s studying abroad, the McNair Program, a research position with the political science department, or my mentors, I think those are the reasons why I enjoyed SSU and owe a ton of my success to the people here.”

~ The original story written by Nate Galvan was posted on February 20, 2020 on Patch.com. 

The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based masters and doctoral degrees at accredited U.S. institutions. The program’s purpose is to ensure a diverse population among the scientific and engineering fields. Benefits include a three-year annual stipend of $34,000, a $12,000 annual cost-of-education allowance, international research and professional development opportunities.

Two of the UCF McNair scholars awarded are current UCF undergraduate students, and one is a UCF McNair Program alumni. Joey Velez-Ginorio graduates this year with his bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering and will be pursuing his doctoral degree in order to continue his research in Artificial Intelligence. Sarah Davenport will also be receiving her bachelor’s degree this Spring in Anthropology and plans to enroll at Brown University this upcoming Fall semester. Geena Ildefonso is a second year doctoral student at Vanderbilt’s Mathematical Biology  doctoral degree program.

Joey Velez-Ginorio credits the McNair Program’s emphasis on preparing scholars for fellowships for his winning NSF application. He notes, “I knew well in advance that the NSF GRFP was something I would apply for, because I had seen other McNair cohorts before me prepare for the application. In the Fall semester of my senior year, the program placed me and my peers in a writing course meant specifically to prepare students for the NSF GRFP application and other fellowships. The course helped me pace my writing in a healthy way, provided writing strategies, and offered feedback on each of my drafts — in addition to translating my informal understanding of the NSF GRFP’s review criteria towards a more targeted and formal understanding”.

Beyond the impact that the program had on their preparation for fellowship applications, all of the recipients emphasized the important role that the AAP Office and the McNair Scholars played in their successful journey towards graduate school. Geena Ildefonso shared: “The AAP office and staff helped me find my purpose. I found their office when I was a sophomore at UCF, and my life was not going on the right track. My brother and father both had cancer, and I was trying to work three jobs to help support my family. I withdrew from classes, I felt lost. Becoming a part of the McNair program gave me a home away from home. I had a place where I felt safe, where I could go to whether things were good, or bad. They helped me get back on track with my school and made it so that I only had one job to work, and that was conducting research which I Ioved to do. My parents never went to college, and because of the McNair program, I was the first in my family to graduate college.”

In addition, Sarah Davenport articulated that the guidance and support she has received through the McNair Scholars Program inspires her to give back and create a more equitable society, “Being a McNair Scholar, to me, means that I now have the support to achieve my greatest goals and, more importantly, it means that I have a responsibility to mentor and set a legacy for other underrepresented people who wish to pursue higher education. Just like Dr. Ronald E. McNair, the actions I take now are greater than myself and this particular time in history; I see myself and the work I do as part of a larger history of people of color who are working toward expanding equity and diversity in higher education.”

Since 2007, eighteen UCF McNair Scholars have been awarded the NSF fellowship. The program sends special thanks to Dr. Laurie Pinkert, Assistant Professor of Writing and Rhetoric at UCF, for her amazing work developing and teaching the McNair NSF GRFP course this past year.

UCF McNair Scholar Winners, Current Graduate Institutions, and Year Awarded:

• Sarah Davenport, Brown University (2018)
• Joey Velez-Ginorio (2018)
• Geena Ildefonso, Vanderbilt University (2018)
• Antonia Bass, University of Pennsylvania (2017)
• Stephanie Matos, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (2017)
• Samantha Mensah, Universityof California Los Angeles (2017)
• Serenela Pelier, University of Florida (2016)
• Monica Thomas, Duke University (2013)
• Tatiana Viecco, Cambridge University (2013)
• Lilian Milanes, University of Kentucky (2012)
• Christina Restrepo, University of Central Florida (2012)
• Elise Hernandez, University of Michigan (2011)
• Rene Diaz, Georgia Tech University (2010)
• Keon Vereen, University of Washington (2010)
• Anamary Leal, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (2010)
• Roberto Miguez, University of Michigan (2009)
• Melonie Sexton Williams, Vanderbilt University (2009)
• Enrique Ortiz, University of Central Florida (2007)

_____________________________________

Mike is a transfer student from MCTC who was afforded the opportunity to conduct URGO research with Dr. David Hanson the summer prior to starting at Augsburg through AugSTEM grant (Rebekah Dupont PI) funding. That fall he continued working with Dr. Hanson and was admitted to the McNair Scholars Program. The following summer he conducted research at the University of California San Diego, where he has decided to pursue a PhD in chemistry and biochemistry.

Congratulations, Mike. We all look forward to observing your contributions to science.

Original story can be found on the Augsburg College website by clicking here.

Three fellowships awarded in the same year to Winthrop students and alumni is an exceptional feat in what is a very competitive application process, said Karen Kedrowski, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. For 2017, the NSF received more than 13,000 applications for this prestigious program and made 2,000 award selections.

Jordan Lewis, a biology and environmental science major and Eagle STEM Scholar and Orangeburg Wilkinson High School graduate from Orangeburg, South Carolina, will receive a fellowship in the area of disease ecology. The May graduate plans to study at Emory University with the goal of working for a federal agency such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A member of Winthrop’s Honors Program, Lewis is a researcher through the McNair Scholars program, a peer mentor, a tutor in the Academic Success Center, a Winthrop Ambassador and member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated. He conducted an award-winning study on the effects of coastal engineering projects on bacterial communities at Folly Beach, South Carolina, as a McNair Scholar.

It is especially challenging for an undergraduate to be selected for this prestigious fellowship, said Dwight Dimaculangan, chair of the Department of Biology. “This is quite an accomplishment,” he said.

Chemistry graduate Tyler Couch `13, a Fort Mill High School graduate who is now a graduate student at the University of Rochester, was selected for a biochemistry fellowship. He said he emphasized his research and leadership experiences while at Winthrop in his application statements. Reviewers told him this was a huge strength to his application.

Couch is a graduate of Winthrop’s American Chemical Society accredited degree program and only the third chemistry alum to be selected for a GRFP fellowship, according to Pat Owens, chair of Winthrop’s Department of Chemistry, Physics & Geology. Couch would like to continue to conduct basic science research in an academic setting once he completes his degree at the University of Rochester.

The third NSF recipient, Emili Moan `15, has a math degree from Winthrop and is earning a Ph.D. in statistics from N.C. State. “I hope to either teach or work in an industry setting after I get my degree,” she said, adding that there are lots of options for statistics graduates.

Moan, who graduated from Hartsville High School in Hartsville, South Carolina, credits her success to the research opportunities available at Winthrop and a great group of people in the math department and in the Office of Nationally Competitive Awards who encouraged her. “I’m the second math graduate from Winthrop to get the NSF fellowship in the past few years, and I think that that says a lot about what a great department we have,” Moan added.

For more information, contact Judy Longshaw, news and media services manager, at 803/323-2404 or longshawj@winthrop.edu.

The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based masters and doctoral degrees at accredited U.S. institutions. The program’s purpose is to ensure a diverse population among the scientific and engineering fields. Benefits include a three-year annual stipend of $34,000, a $12,000 annual cost-of-education allowance, international research and professional development opportunities.

The three scholars awarded the fellowships are excited about their future research careers.  Antonia Bass is in her second year in the Doctoral Program in Cell and Molecular Biology at the University of Pennsylvania.  Stephanie Quiles-Matos is in her first year in the Doctoral Program in Engineering Education at Virginia Tech.  Samantha Mensah graduates this year from UCF and will be attending a doctoral program in Chemistry.

When asked how the McNair Program assisted them, each of the scholars emphasized the importance of the personal and graduate school preparation support the program provided. Quiles-Matos stated, “Honestly, I would not even be in graduate school without the support and mentorship that the McNair Scholar program provided me. As a McNair Scholar I was encouraged to participate in research, a concept I was unfamiliar with as a first-generation student. The McNair team helped me realize, that even as a non-traditional student, I could achieve my goals of graduating college and going onto graduate school.”

Mensah explained that she received much technical support in regards to the NSF GRFP application. “The staff of McNair are extremely knowledgeable on how to make a great application. We work on specific sections such as broader impacts and presenting research from the very beginning of the program. My entire cohort in McNair was working on our applications together and there was an entire team of people helping and checking each other’s work.” Beyond technical help, Mensah appreciated the community created by the McNair program. “McNair is a family. Scholars and mentors that support and lift each other up and always cheer the other on. It can be daunting to tread the waters of academia, especially graduate school, but McNair has been a large reason why I feel confident in my next step.”

Bass highlighted that the support she received from McNair inspired her to give back. “I believe my participation in the McNair program played a great part in getting to where I am today. Their effort to promote underrepresented and first-generation students in STEM fields was what inspired me to pursue a PhD and expand my knowledge within the field of biology. The experience I attained during my participation in the McNair Program motivated me to become a role model for other diverse individuals to pursue a STEM degree and career. I am proud to be a part of a group of graduate scholars focused on fostering the success of underrepresented scientists, which is an important goal that is supported by the NSF GRFP.”

Since 2007,  fifteen University of Central Florida McNair scholars have been awarded NSF fellowships and four scholars have received honorable mentions. The program sends a special thanks to Dr. Robin Walker from the University of Missouri, Columbia for her amazing work with the scholars over the past several years.

UCF McNair Scholar Winners, Current Graduate Institutions, and Year Awarded:

• Antonia Bass, University of Pennsylvania (2017)
• Stephanie Matos, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (2017)
• Samantha Mensah (2017)
• Serenela Pelier, University of Florida (2016)
• Monica Thomas, Duke University (2013)
• Tatiana Viecco, Cambridge University (2013)
• Lilian Milanes, University of Kentucky (2012)
• Christina Restrepo, University of Central Florida (2012)
• Elise Hernandez, University of Michigan (2011)
• Rene Diaz, Georgia Tech University (2010)
• Keon Vereen, University of Washington (2010)
• Anamary Leal, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (2010)
• Roberto Miguez, University of Michigan (2009)
• Melonie Sexton Williams, Vanderbilt University (2009)
• Enrique Ortiz, University of Central Florida (2007)

Heidi is excited about her graduate journey.  “It is truly an honor to be selected for the Frost Scholarship,” she said, “I believe this experience will not only propel me toward a career in research and conservation, but it will also broaden and deepen my knowledge of the world.”  Heidi is the second McNair Scholar to be awarded the Frost Scholarship.

After completing her MSc at the University of Oxford, Heidi will be pursuing her Ph.D. in Marine Biology at the University of California, Irvine, where she has already received the Francisco J. Ayala Graduate Fellowship.  Heidi credits the McNair Scholars Program with helping her realize her potential to pursue and achieve a Ph.D. and the Honors College for their amazing support.

Funded through the Phillip and Felicia Frost Philanthropic Foundation, the Frost Scholarship provides ten awards per year to students from Florida to attain their master degrees at the University of Oxford in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, Math and Medicine.  Through their graduate studies, Frost Scholars are encouraged to contribute to the global improvement of health and scientific knowledge.  The scholarship covers tuition and fees for the one year Master’s program, as well as a living stipend of £14,553.

Engineering giant Siemens sponsors the three-phase competition every year. It pits teams of the best engineering students in the world against each other for a shot at the top prize – a trip to Germany to showcase their project and meet potential future employers. Siemens is based in Germany and successful plans are implemented at the company’s Berlin plant.

UCF was one of the five teams and the only U.S. team selected from 33 to travel to Germany for the final phase of the competition this year tagged “Enabling the Digital Twin.” For non-engineers, that’s a real-time way for teams to communicate during the conceptual, design and prototype process in product development.

The final round is a week-long process that culminates with a shark-tank-style innovation hackathon. Officials from the company were the judges.

The teams didn’t have to build a whole system, referred to as the digital twin. They only needed to present a working prototype of an idea that would enable the digital twin and that could be seamlessly incorporated within Siemens established manufacturing and quality-assessment process.

“There was no actual winner or ranking,” said Marcel Otto, a doctoral student in mechanical engineering at UCF and one of the team members. “We were all winners just being there.”

He described the final leg of the year-long competition as professional and exciting.

“I liked the supportive culture between the teams, the unique insight we got on-site in Siemens’ largest turbine-manufacturing facility worldwide. We worked late into the nights, coding, discussing our solution and models,” Otto said.

Connecting the engineering plan to a business plan and being able to sell it was the biggest challenge, for team member Kevin Bauer-Escalante.

“Being mentored in the art of presenting an effective elevator pitch was probably the most valuable takeaway from this unique experience,” Bauer-Escalante said. “We had to learn the lingo that connects the engineering idea with the business impact. Nowadays it is necessary to build this bridge in your head between the two different schools of thought, the technical and the business.”

Bauer-Escalante, who is pursuing a master’s degree in mechanical engineering, is also a graduate research assistant at UCF’s Center for Advanced Turbomachinery & Energy Research. He said he is still in awe of the experience and the opportunity the competition gave him to talk to some leaders in the industry. The trip also was his first one to Europe.

Team member Itza Beltran (McNair Scholar) will graduate from UCF with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in May. Beltran said the competition was a way to get hands-on experience.  She will continue her education at the University of Colorado Boulder.

“The competition was open to any major, with an emphasis in engineering and business,” she said. “Collaborating between different fields is a key to success. I highly recommend students to get involved in projects or competitions where they can work with people from other disciplines. It is a rewarding experience.”

Jayanta Kapat, CATER’s director and team coach, said participating in competitions like these benefits students because it gives them real-life feedback and opportunities to connect with industry.

“UCF did very well,” Kapat said. “Our team just came back, with multiple job offers.”

~ Original story written on Thursday, April 13, 2017 by Zenaida Gonzalez Kotala can been seen here.