Octavio Lopez

Email: 
Tavo7995@Yahoo.com
Year: 
2017
Department / Program: 
Electrical Engineering

Bio

Octavio Lopez is a fourth-year Electrical Engineer at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He was raised in Long Beach, California, where he participated in math and robotics competitions. His success throughout his high school years earned him his full-ride college scholarship (the Gates Millennium Scholarship). Octavio has participated in different personal projects that fueled his entrepreneurial passions, such as power lace shoes, and a personal security Bluetooth device. This passion motivates him to pursue entrepreneurship and is the reason he decided to study Electrical Engineering.   

Currently, Octavio is working on a personal security device that he hopes will be able to prevent assaults and ultimately, save lives. He wants to take all the experience and knowledge that he has gained throughout his engineering studies to apply it to problems people face every day. He has the ability to collaborate efficiently with others to achieve these goals. His role in his Capstone project exemplifies these abilities. He manages to orchestrate the other members around how the device is going to function and what it needs, technically, to become reality.  

Outside of his academic ventures, Octavio participates in multiple organizations designed to benefit people in need. He is currently secretary of the International Health Collective. He travels with other members of this organization to Tijuana, Mexico to create different devices that will be used to benefit the people living there. This includes a custom designed stove that was presented to the Mexican government and was funded and approved. He also works as a mentor to many first-generation college students, and youth in the Santa Barbara and Long Beach areas. These engagements include, leading chemistry tutorials, as well as general tutoring, and peer advising. As a member of Los Ingenieros, he also actively participates in college workshops designed to engage and expose minority students to STEM fields.  

With all his projects, he brings his passion and optimism which catalyzes the work environment. Ultimately, Octavio’s active engagement with the community and in his entrepreneurial endeavors reflect his avid interest in combining community service and engineering.