Program: Civil Engineering
Home Country: Colombia
Universities: Universidad de los Andes
Languages: Spanish, English

Adapting ourselves and making progress from unpredicted situations is what makes us stronger people; enjoying the experiences and giving the best of ourselves is part of a joyful life. I am a person who observes life as a complex sequence of enriching experiences and who always learns and benefits from them. My life begins in Villavicencio (Colombia) with my parents and three siblings. They greatly influenced my upbringing with different approaches to life and personal philosophies; I owe them the socially conscious and positive attitude that characterizes me. I learned from them to face life with humility but also tenacity.

From 2009 to 2013, I studied civil engineering at Universidad de los Andes (Colombia) thanks to the “Mario Galan Gomez Scholarship” awarded for being the best student from my home region in 2009. In 2015, I earned a master’s degree in structural engineering from the same university while enthusiastically participating in several research projects as a member of the Research Center for Materials and Structures (CIMOC) related to earthquake engineering and seismic risk mitigation. Given my motivation on these topics, I worked in the CIMOC as a Research Assistant for 2 additional years, exposing myself to technical projects with social impacts.

In 2017, after four years of experience, I got a position as a Full-time Lecturer and Researcher at Uniandes, being one of the most gratifying jobs of my life. My passion for teaching and making a positive impact on new generations about engineers’ responsibilities and ethical commitments much needed in today’s world has been my motivation. In this position, I was awarded the Innovative Teaching Award from the College of Engineering in 2019.

I am fascinated with the fast-developing trending methodologies and the innovative technologies that emerged in probabilistic risk assessments, computational modeling, stochastic processes simulation, and structural health monitoring for the civil engineering fields. It is my desire and professional goal to deepen my knowledge in these subjects, and that is why I decided to come to Rice. I hope to enjoy this journey accompanied by my new family at Rice, my wife, and our dog! I like to go hiking, running and enjoy going for a beer while watching sports matches.

On Rice:

I decided to pursue my doctoral studies at Rice University in the Civil Engineering program because it is driven by a faculty with a strong theoretical foundation and knowledge, combined with the vision of using new technology trends to mitigate risks.

On Fulbright:

Being a Fulbrighter challenges you to be proactive, a leader, and to make a self-commitment to make social changes. In my position as a civil engineer, Fulbright encourage me to visualize how I can assure the best for the more needed communities.

Fun Fact:

Someday I'll start cooking classes to improve my cooking skills!