Page 15 - InSights_Fall_2016

GRAD STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Ismael Perez, an electrical engineering master's degree student and
Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation – Bridges to the Doctorate (LSAMP-BD) Fellow, recently received a National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship. The recognition is awarded to outstanding
graduate students in STEM disciplines pursuing research- based master's and doctoral degrees at accredited U.S. institutions. According to Perez's faculty adviser, Deborah Won, the award is highly selective and a reflection of Perez’s dedication to his unique and impactful research. In Perez's research, he seeks to understand possible mechanisms for the influence of peripheral nerve stimulation on spinal plasticity-dependent enhancement of locomotor control.
Perez's inspiration comes from a collection of extrinsic and intrinsic factors in life – family, friends, mentors and the challenge to solve a meaningful mathematical, scientific and/or engineering problem.
“What pushes me to keep going, through research and academic challenges, is my career aspiration to become a professor conducting cutting-edge research and, more importantly, inspiring the next set of diverse students," says Perez.
Perez plans to complete his doctoral degree in Duke University’s Department of Biomedical Engineering and obtain a postdoctoral position in order to become a professor within the California State University system.
Angela Wu, who recently received her master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Cal State LA, moved to the United States in 2009 from Suriname to pursue her education. She is a graduate fellow of the Center for Energy and Sustainability and a lifetime member of the Tau Beta Pi
and Pi Tau Sigma honor societies. In 2015, she earned first place in the Cal State LA Student Research Symposium, and participated in the annual CSU Student Research competition. Her master’s research in parametric analysis and optimization of thermal systems has led
to one journal and one conference paper, and she is currently working on her second publication. She was accepted to the University of Michigan with a four-year graduate assistantship, and will pursue her Ph.D. in mechanical engineering starting this fall.
“My parents left China and moved across the Pacific Ocean to find a better life in Suriname, without knowing the language or having any job prospects," says Wu. “Through hard work, they built a life in Suriname and launched their own business. They supported me throughout my years at Cal State LA, so I want to make them proud of
my achievements.”
Wu says her faculty adviser, Arturo Pacheco-Vega, has been her biggest supporter as she worked toward a master’s degree and encouraged her to pursue a Ph.D. She’s also grateful for her friends’ and lab mates’ insights and encouragement.
After she earns her Ph.D., Wu strives to become a professor with her own research lab and student mentees.
Hector Gomez, a mechanical engineering master’s student and LSAMP-BD Fellow, received an Honorable Mention from the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program. He is conducting research in the thermo-fluids lab to develop a laminar flow-based membrane-less
fuel cell, which most efficiently converts chemical into electrical energy, under the direction of faculty adviser Pacheco-Vega.
Gomez presented his work at the 24th Annual Student Symposium on Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity, and his most recent results will be presented at the 2nd International Conference on Advances in Mechanical Engineering Istanbul 2016 and published in the Journal
of Thermal Engineering.
“The faculty and staff have guided and supported my career, and fellow students provided support through tough research and academic challenges," he says.
Gomez also learned the importance of giving back to the community and developing future engineers.
As graduate ambassador for the ASME student chapter, Gomez mentors and encourages future engineers, and he hopes to develop and advise academic programs as
a professor and to increase diversity in STEM.
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“Not only have [Wu and Gomez] acquired
a solid academic background but, more importantly, I think, they both have an exemplary attitude in terms of commitment, sense of responsibility and discipline in their quest
for academic and professional excellence.”
– Arturo Pacheco-Vega, faculty adviser and Professor of Mechanical Engineering