International entrepreneur, UMCoE alumnus and advisory board member Pete Martinez (BSEE ’75) received the Premio “Ing. José M. Amézaga” Award for his commitment and service to the ACAE. A member of the undergraduate Class of 1975, Martinez graduated from the University with a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering before beginning his 32-year IBM career. While at IBM, Martinez served as vice president of global business services and the senior location executive for IBM South Florida.
To date his body of work includes more than 30 patents and technical publications in the areas of healthcare, computer architecture, robotics, optical disks and display technology.
Sharing the spotlight with Martinez, PhD candidates Tatiana Bejarano and Ana Diego, Mia Lama (BSIE ’20) and Carlos Michel (BSCE ’19) also received scholarships at the Gala.
- Tatiana Bejarano received the Ing. Pedro O. Martinez Scholarship. She is a PhD candidate in the Department of Biomedical Engineering’s Medical Physics Program. Her research develops a machine learning algorithm using artificial neural networks and the electronic health record. Her research aims to improve outcomes and treatment selection of HPV-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, but seeks to extend this research to all cancer types.
- Ana Diego received both the Navigant Scholarship and Luciano de Goicoechea Scholarship. Diego was born and raised in Cuba and came to the United States during her junior year of high school. She is PhD candidate in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. Diego works at the McKnight Vision Research Center focusing on the development of computer augmented vision and artificial intelligence algorithms for screening, diagnosing or treating vision problems.
- Mia Lama received the Ing. Gonzalo Sanchez Scholarship. Lama is a junior in the Department of Industrial Engineering. She is a proud member of the Society of Women Engineers. In 2018, she started a tutoring company called Bright and Brainy Tutoring. Currently, the company employs eight intelligent and energized tutors and brighten the minds of young students with more than 100 hours weekly.
- Carlos Michel received the Molins Family Scholarship. He is a first-generation Cuban-American, born in Miami. Michel is a senior in the Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering focusing on environmental engineering. He hopes to develop sustainable techniques and technologies that promote harmony between human development and the natural environment. Michel has a passion for both learning and teaching and hopes to one day find his way into the classroom.
The scholarships given by CAACE and ACAE are in memory of those engineers who contributed to the development of the organizations through the years or by the corresponding company sponsors. Students received $500 to $2,000, depending on the scholarship.
Congratulations to Bejarano, Diego, Lama, Martinez and Michel!
