In the United States, the third full week of February is referred to as National Engineers Week. The celebration began in 1951 by the National Society of Professional Engineers in conjunction with President George Washington’s birthday. President Washington is considered to be the nation’s first engineer, notably for his survey work.
In its efforts to expand this celebration to all STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) disciplines, College of the Canyons’ MESA Program will feature MESA STEM Week as part of the Mathematics, Sciences & Engineering Speakers Symposium Series. MESA STEM Week is designed to give all STEM students and the college community an opportunity to meet renowned engineers, scientists, and mathematicians. Participants will have an opportunity to: engage with industry experts as they present various career options in STEM, explore potential research areas of interest, and learn about the struggles of a first generation, underrepresented minority pursuing a STEM degree. Multiple activities are planned throughout the week, culminating in a field trip to an industry site for qualifying and interested MESA (Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement) students.
Faculty and staff of the MESA Program and Mathematics, Sciences, and Engineering Division are acknowledged and thanked for their support as well as willingness to help organize MESA STEM Week.
Please click on each Industry/University Guest’s name below to learn about their background and expertise.
If you are interested in presenting, feel free to contact the MESA Program Director, Dr. Eric Lara, at 661-362-3098 or eric.lara@canyons.edu.
Mathematics, Engineering and Science Achievement Program
Proudly Presents
MESA STEM WEEK
as part of the
Mathematics, Sciences & Engineering Speakers Symposium SeriesFeb. 18-21, 2014
11:30 AM – 2:00 PM
MESA Center, ALLB-114
MESA STEM WEEK SCHEDULE OF INDUSTRY/UNIVERSITY GUESTS
Tuesday Feb. 18, 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM
Engineering Panel: Three professional Engineers will speak to MESA students on their educational experiences, career paths and struggles as first generation, underrepresented minority students while pursuing their undergraduate education.Activity: All three Engineers will bring something they are working on, or have worked on, to present to students. This will allow direct 1-to-1 interaction between the professionals and MESA students.
Wednesday Feb. 19, 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM
Science/Math Panel: Four professionals will speak to MESA Students on their educational experience, career path and struggles of being a first generation, underrepresented minority while pursuing their undergraduate education.
Activity: Each professional will bring something they are working on, or have worked on, to present to students. This will allow direct 1-1 interaction between the professionals and MESA students. This will allow direct 1-to-1 interaction between the professionals and MESA students.
Thursday Feb. 20, 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM
STEM Activity #1: MESA AIMS2 students will be competing in an Egg Drop Contest. Six teams will drop an egg from a distance of 36 feet.Objective: Design a device that will protect a fresh, raw large grade-A egg from breaking when it is dropped from a height of 36 feet.
STEM Activity #2: This activity will include various engineering projects hosted by Amanda Bustos from The Gas Company, Angelica Gomez from MWH Global, and Bianca Rodriguez from Sully-Miller Contracting Co.Projects to include:
1. It’s a Solid… It’s a Liquid… It’s Oobleck!
2. How electrifying! Build your own circuit using a breadboard, IC chips, resistors and more!
3. Feel that quake?! Come build your own lego structure and watch it crumble down on our very own shake table!
MESA Center: Come learn about various careers in Engineering from Amanda, Angelica, and Bianca.
Friday Feb. 21, 8:30 AM – 3:00 PM
Field Trip: Field trip to local industry to expose the MESA students to a major corporation.
INDUSTRY/UNIVERSITY GUESTS
Tuesday Feb. 18, 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM
Luis Nunez Uribe, P.E., is currently working for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), Metropolitan Service Planning Office. Luis is responsible for the planning of electrical services in the East Downtown/Boyle Heights/El Sereno Area.
Luis is a licensed professional engineer in the State of California and obtained his Bachelors of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering from Cal Poly Pomona. Luis was a transfer student from Cerritos College. Luis is a first generation student who came to the United States from Guadalajara, Mexico. Luis took English as a Second Language courses at ABC Adult School in Norwalk, California for four months before attending Cerritos College.
In order to afford tuition while at Cerritos College, Luis worked in construction and as a Math Tutor. While attending Cal Poly Pomona, he worked as a Physics Facilitator for the Maximizing Engineering Potential (MEP) QUEST Summer Program and as an MEP AEW Math Facilitator during the school year. Luis was involved with the Electrical and Computer Engineering Honor Society, Eta Kappa Nu (HKN), the Engineering Honor Society, Tau Beta Pi (TBP), the Instrumentation Systems and Automation Society (ISA), and the Society of Hispanics in Science and Engineering (SHSE). He was the Chairman of Community Service for SHSE for two years and the TBP Treasurer for one year. In addition, Luis had an internship with RBF Consulting in Irvine, California, where he worked for 9 months assisting electrical engineers with the design of electrical services and control systems for pump stations and water treatment plants.
Marisol Mercado is a Mission Operations Engineer at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena. As a first-generation college student, Marisol completed a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering and a Master of Science in Engineering Management from Cal Poly Pomona. Marisol is currently pursuing a Computer Programming Associates Degree from Cerritos College.
While at Cal Poly Pomona, Marisol was an active member of Maximizing Engineering Potential (MEP) and Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers. Marisol was also a member of Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society and the President of Sigma Gamma Tau, an Aerospace Engineering Honor Society. To help cover expenses during her undergraduate years, Marisol worked multiple retail part-time jobs, obtained scholarships, and worked at paid internships. Marisol obtained a National Science Foundation Scholarship, Boeing Scholarship, and the NASA MUST (Motivating Undergraduates in Science and Technology) Scholarship. Marisol also interned at Northrop Grumman Corporation and at NASA Goddard.
After completing her undergrad degree, Marisol was hired at JPL where she has been in the flight operations area and supported United States, European, and Japanese deep space missions.
Leticia Rocha is a System Replacement and Modernization (SRAM) Engineer working for the Department of Defense as a civilian with the Navy at Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC), Corona. Leticia earned her Bachelor’s degree at Cal Poly Pomona and is currently in her last semester of her Master’s degree at Cal State Fullerton. Leticia’s Master’s degree is in Mechanical Engineering with an emphasis on thermal and fluid science.
While at Cal Poly, Leticia was an active member of the Maximizing Engineering Potential (MEP) Program. Leticia participated in the QUEST Summer Bridge program, diligently attended Academic Excellence Workshops (AEW), constantly studied and utilized the free tutoring services in the MEP study center, and worked for MEP as a Peer Mentor for first-year Engineering students and as a QUEST facilitator.
Being active in the MEP program offered the opportunity for Leticia to visit many engineering companies; with that experience, she was able to intern at NSWC. Leticia currently works part-time in the SRAM program in the Range Sustainment (RS) group. The flexibility in her schedule makes it possible for her to focus on school and work. She plans to continue working at NSWC Corona after graduation.
Wednesday Feb. 19, 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM
Cristian Aguilar is in the final year of the doctoral program in Developmental and Cell Biology at the University of California, Irvine. His work is in the field of regenerative medicine, where he investigates mechanisms of cellular dedifferentiation during salamander limb regeneration. Before attending UCI, Cristian received his Bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology from Cal Poly Pomona.
Throughout his academic career, Cristian has been heavily involved in programs designed to increase diversity in higher education. Through the Science Education Equity Services (SEES) program at Cal Poly, the Minority Sciences Program, and DECADE program at UCI, Cristian has mentored and taught numerous students from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Cristian has also emphasized teaching as a component of his professional development, receiving multiple fellowships and grants designed to support individuals who demonstrate proficiency for research and teaching. Cristian seeks to obtain a professorship at an institution that focuses predominantly on undergraduate education, where he can conduct research as well as teach numerous courses.
Mario Guzman is a Software Developer at CU Direct, where he and his team are responsible for supporting, developing, and engineering all internal-use-only software applications and back-end services. These applications are used throughout the country by all CU Direct and CU Direct subsidiary employees. Before working at CU Direct, Mario worked for software-startup Central Desktop as an Associate Product Manager and Apple Inc. as a One-to-One Personal Trainer and Technician.
Mario earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science in 2012 from Cal Poly Pomona, where he was a member of the Maximizing Engineering Potential (MEP) program as well as Science Educational Enhancement Services (SEES).
Andrea Astudillo, DVM is an associate veterinarian at a small animal hospital in the San Fernando Valley. She received her Bachelors of Science degree from Cal Poly Pomona in Animal Science Pre- Vet Option in 2007, magna cum laude. She then graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2011 as a Doctor of Veterinary Medication. Her passions include emergency and critical care, surgery, internal medicine, and dentistry.
As an undergraduate, Andrea participated on the board of directors for the Society of Hispanics in Science and Engineering (SHSE) and the Latino Pre-Medical Student Association (LPMSA). She provided the opportunity for her members to expand professionally and personally through national leadership and networking conferences. While in the veterinary program, Andrea worked multiple fields within the industry that helped develop her medical and communication skills. Andrea’s goals are to advance her training in soft tissue surgery and dentistry.
Silverio Alvarez works as a Research Associate at the College of Optometry at Western University of Health Sciences, where he studies Macular Pigment Optical Density and its relation to Age Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD) and Glaucoma. Silverio holds a Master’s degree in Medical Sciences from Western University of Health Sciences and a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He is currently applying to medical school.
Silverio, a veteran of the United States Air Force, first worked as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and started his academic career at College of the Desert in Palm Desert, CA. During his time in community college, he was heavily involved with the Math, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) program. While there, he participated in two different internships: with Basic and Advanced Academies of Research at Chico State and the National Science Foundation (NSF) through the Hispanic National Internship Program in affiliation with the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU). Once he transferred to UCLA, he was a member of Chicanos/Latinos for Community Medicine (CCM), a pre-health student run group. He also worked as a Peer Mentor for Center for Community College Partnerships (CCCP), a mentoring program for community college students in the Los Angeles area.
Growing up in a low-income, first generation household, Silverio immigrated to the United States from Guatemala after living there for eight years.
Thursday Feb. 20, 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM
Projects to include:
1. It’s a Solid… It’s a Liquid… It’s Oobleck!
2. How electrifying! Build your own circuit using a breadboard, IC chips, resistors and more!
3. Feel that quake?! Come build your own lego structure and watch it crumble down on our very own shake table!
Amanda Bustos is a graduate of Cal Poly Pomona with a Bachelor’s of Science in Civil Engineering and is currently attending Cal State Northridge for a graduate certificate in Business Administration. Amanda is currently working full-time at the Southern California Gas Company as a Region Associate Engineer in Distribution Technical Services.
During her time at Cal Poly Pomona, Amanda was an active member of the Maximizing Engineering Potential (MEP) program, Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), Society of Women Engineers (SWE), American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) and Engineers Without Borders (EWB). She served SHPE as chapter President in 2011-2012 and held several positions in MEP as a peer mentor, peer advisor, and QUEST facilitator. While attending classes full time and staying highly involved in her student clubs, she maintained an engineering internship with the Southern California Gas Company for 2.5 years.
As a first generation college student, Amanda never let her minority or income status hinder her chances at success. She has a strong passion for outreach and STEM programs and loves to get involved on her spare time. Today, she continues to help underrepresented minority groups by attending alumni club events at Cal Poly Pomona and volunteering on behalf of her company to attend STEM events like the most recent MESA Conference 2013 in San Diego, CA.
Angelica Gomez is a graduate of Cal Poly Pomona with a Bachelor’s of Science in Electrical Engineering and is currently attending Cal State Los Angeles as a Master’s student in the Electrical Engineering program with an emphasis in Systems and Controls. Angelica is also working full time at MWH Global as an Associate Instrumentation and Controls Engineer.
During her time at Cal Poly Pomona, Angelica was an active member of the Maximizing Engineering Potential program, Educational Opportunity Program, Society of Women Engineers, International Society of Automation, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and Engineers Without Borders. She served SHPE as the chapter’s Executive Vice President in 2011-2012, External Vice President for the Society of Women Engineers in 2010-2011, and became a peer mentor in MEP. During her last year at Cal Poly Pomona, she obtained an Internship with Metropolitan Water District within the Power and Instrumentation Design Group.
As a first generation college student, Ms. Gomez is the oldest of three sisters and is the first in her family to attend college. Her passion and dedication led her to succeed in engineering. She grew up in a low-income household. Currently, she is a recipient of the Bill Gates Millennium Scholarship, which funded her entire undergraduate education and is currently funding her graduate education as well.
Bianca C. Rodriguez is a Project Engineer at Sully-Miller Contracting Co. She graduated from Cal Poly Pomona with a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering.
While at Cal Poly, Bianca was an active member of the Maximizing Engineering Potential (MEP) program, the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, and Engineers Without Borders (EWB). Through EWB, Bianca was able to travel to Costa Rica to build two bridges for the surrounding communities. Bianca served as SWE President during the 2009-2010 academic year and was honored with two national awards from the SWE conference for her hard work and dedication to SWE Cal Poly Pomona.
As a first generation student, Bianca sought advice from MEP, her fellow peers, and the SWE organization. Today, she constantly volunteers her time and continues to help students in similar situations.
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