Program: Mechanical Engineering
Home Country: Ecuador

Ricardo Poveda is a Ph.D. student in the Mechanical Engineering Department at Rice University. He earned both his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Escuela Politécnica Nacional in Ecuador. After receiving his M.S. with the highest honors, he was awarded a Fulbright grant to pursue his doctoral studies in the USA. His professional experience includes lecturing at his home institution for four years and working as an A/C specialist for two years at Surge Ingenieria. His interests lie in improving the efficiency of mechanical systems. He currently works at Rice University in the Energy Systems Lab directed by Professor Laura Schaefer.

On Rice:

What I like the most about Rice is the supportive and caring environment where success is achieved through collaboration. People in charge have their minds and hearts in the right place, and that is the leadership any institution needs. I like Houston's diversity in every way but especially in food availability. And although you won't find everything you had at home you can always find something new.

On Fulbright:

What I like the most from the Fulbright Program is becoming part of a wider community of talented people where independently of how diverse we all are, we share the core values required to create a more understanding and cooperative world. From your first day, you will feel part of a supportive network of amazing people.

Fun Fact:

I like learning how everything works. And for personal, social, and political matters most of the time, there is no straight answer. That is why I like to challenge my beliefs by hearing different perspectives and playing the devil's advocate.