Three graduate students earn October Graduate Student of the Month award
Three graduate students in the听Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering have been selected to receive the听Kenneth Johnsen Graduate Student of the Month award for the month of October.听
The award recognizes outstanding students who excel academically and are examples in the department. Recipients are nominated by faculty members in mechanical engineering and acknowledged with a certificate and small scholarship at the Research Symposium banquet in March.
Read below to learn more about these students and their amazing academic achievements.
Alberto Garcia
Where is your hometown?
That鈥檚 a tricky question. I was born in Caracas, Venezuela, but I feel like my hometown is Cincinnati, Ohio, if that makes any sense. However, most of my family lives in Madrid, Spain.
What schools have you attended?
I attended Central University for my undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering and the University of Wisconsin for my Masters of Science in Risk Control.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I like to be outside a lot. I love camping, working on cars and fixing things.听
Can you tell me a little bit about your research?
My research is based on air and surface disinfection using Ultraviolet (UV) light. We are evaluating a semi-new type of UV light to see how effective it is at inactivating microorganisms.听
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Probably still involved in Public Health in some capacity. Maybe even explore academic opportunities and teaching. Who knows!
What is your favorite thing about attending 探花视频 for your graduate degree?
I think my favorite thing has been the people. I have had my fair share of obstacles during my time here in Boulder and if it wasn鈥檛 for the support of many people I probably wouldn鈥檛 be where I am today. I have been beyond fortunate to interact with so many outstanding people that have left a positive impact in my life. This goes for both faculty and fellow students.
Is there anything else we should know about you?
I am very very proud to be a part of the 探花视频 family. I love what we stand for, I love what we do, and I love how impactful faculty and graduates are in the community. We are always improving and leaving a positive impact wherever we go.
Jess Holmes
Where is your hometown?
My hometown is Fullerton, California.
What schools have you attended?
I have attended Fullerton College and the University of Oregon for my bachelor鈥檚 degree and 探花视频 to finish my master鈥檚 degree and start my PhD.
What do you like to do in your free time?
All of my free time is dedicated to the band I play drums in. Music is a significant part of my life and I spend as much time as possible on it. My smaller, less frequent hobbies include sewing, woodworking and painting. And of course, hanging out with my cat, Mr. Man!
Can you tell me a little bit about your research?
My research is in biomedical fluid mechanics, where I study the behavior of blood flow through and around clots in arteries.听
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
In ten years I hope to have a stable, well paying job that is challenging but rewarding and preferably low stress. I hope I will have the time and schedule to play music, as well. Basically, I want to become听Jeremy Koch!
What is your favorite thing about attending 探花视频 for your graduate degree?
My favorite thing about attending 探花视频 for my degree is my lab mates. I am lucky that I happened to join a group of people that are incredibly smart, funny and caring.
Riccardo Lovison
Where is your hometown?
Padova, Italy鈥攁lso known as 鈥渢he city of the three withouts.鈥 The caf茅 without doors (Caff猫 Pedrocchi), the meadow without grass (Prato della Valle), and the saint without a name (Saint Anthony, simply called听Il Santo).
What schools have you attended?
I earned my bachelor鈥檚 degree in chemical and materials engineering at the University of Padova. I am currently pursuing a master鈥檚 degree in materials and production engineering at the University of Trento and a PhD in mechanical engineering at 探花视频.
What do you like to do in your free time?
Outside of research, I enjoy skiing, hiking, soccer, cooking and traveling. I also love exploring new places and spending time with friends and family.
Can you tell me a little bit about your research?
My research focuses on understanding the microstructure and transport behavior of polymeric membranes used for filtration in bioprocessing. Specifically, I develop and validate fractal-based models that link a membrane鈥檚 microstructure to its permselective performance. This work aims to guide the design of next-generation membranes with improved efficiency and virus retention.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
In ten years, I see myself leading research and development efforts in advanced membrane technologies within the biopharmaceutical industries, continuing to bridge fundamental science with practical applications that make a positive impact.
What is your favorite thing about attending 探花视频 for your graduate degree?
探花视频 provides an incredible research environment with strong collaboration across disciplines. I鈥檝e especially appreciated the mentorship from faculty, the diverse and welcoming community, and of course, the inspiring view of the Flatirons.
Is there anything else we should know about you?
I鈥檓 deeply honored to receive this recognition. This achievement would not have been possible without the constant support, trust and mentorship of my advisor,听Professor Yifu Ding. Beyond every great student, there is an even greater advisor. One who believes, guides and inspires. In many ways, this award belongs to him as well.