Bio

Luis has a drive to excel in his educational path as he pursues a Mechanical Engineering BS/MS degree. After being in the retail management field for 15 years, he decided to return to college to pursue a lifelong interest in engineering. Working full-time, providing for his family, being a father of two young sons and going to school has all been part of his five year journey from Santa Barbara City College to UCSB. Obtaining the MS degree was always in the back of his mind and he knew that the plus one program at UCSB would be the best opportunity to achieve this goal for him and his family. Obtaining the MS degree will provide the opportunity to gain specific knowledge in the field of system dynamics that will be applicable in his future work. 

Luis has demonstrated both academically and professionally his operational effectiveness and leadership with experience in planning. Working around his children's schedules, as well as his own job, classes, homework, and carving out group project time demonstrates his time management skills and ability to prioritize in a constantly changing environment. Give him a project and a deadline and he will figure out how to get it done. Additionally, Luis had many years of experience in the work field as a leader in a corporate retail environment where he managed and maintained the scheduling for over 100 employees. This work experience has translated well to being a leader at school in group projects by dividing up work, finding people’s strengths, delegating work, keeping the group on task, and managing timelines. Luis also leads by example and is not hesitant to seek out help from classmates, teaching assistants, and professors. His previous internship experience at Imerys Filtration, a world leader in the Filtration industry, afforded him the opportunity to redesign and develop complex technical equipment. He was responsible for creating drawings of machine components and frame structure, calibrating and automating level sensors and flow meters, and implementing preliminary code backbone for PLC’s control functions.  

After graduation, Luis seeks a career in designing and engineering cutting-edge processes for technology companies. He hopes to be involved in the quickly developing self-driving vehicle era. His passion and previous experience with automobile work make him interested in developing reliable and safe systems that current technology could offer. He also has an interest in energy efficiency and would like to be a part of a team that designs products that make the best use of our natural resources.