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Ray Febo Research Engineer at the Sensors Directorate Air Force Research Laboratory
When Ray Febo was 8, he took apart a gift watch and noticed a metal spring was missing (a termi- nal connection for the battery), and made a con- nection out of loose wires and it worked. It was a mental breakthrough, he said, as, “I understood that it didn’t have to be the exact same part, but if I knew what was the purpose it served I could modify it or replace it when damaged or lost!” At AFRL, Febo uses such ingenuity to manage federal, academic and corporate contractual efforts to research, model and evaluate metama- terial-based antennae and new approaches for the antenna technology in Air Force platforms supporting the warfighter. He also works on the enhancement of antenna miniaturization and integration into low-fre- quency systems. Febo was the first in his generation to earn a bachelor’s degree, and graduated with honors from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez Campus with a BSEE and an MSEE, while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps. The AFRL is paying for his work toward a Ph.D. in electro- magnetic theory and applications as a non-resident student at Arizona State University. Giving back is normal for Febo. He monitors the research of five Ph.D. students related to the above contracts and mentors interns each summer. The best advice Febo ever got came from his abuelo, or grandfather, who, while they were picking coffee beans, said, “Work hard to finish everything you start, because dreams cost long days and nights.”
Javier Vela Faculty Scientist Ames Laboratory
Although his dad majored in chemical engineer- ing in college, Javier Vela credits his high school chemistry teacher as the major influence on his career choice, as he invited Vela to participate in the Chemistry Olympiad program. That, he said, gave him a “peek” at the unknown world of science and research. Ames Laboratory is a government-owned, contractor-operated research facility of the U.S. Department of Energy and is run by Iowa State University. Vela directs his own research lab and his research is focused on photoactive nano-materials for applications in biology, catalysis, and energy. There are eight full-time Ph.D. students in the lab, and five undergraduates work part-time. Vela’s operating budget from 2009-2012 is $1.1 million, and his goal, and that of other researchers in Vela’s field, is to develop viable ways to convert solar energy into other forms of energy. “We are very interested in using sunlight as the only driving force to convert plant biomass into hydrogen fuel and useful chemicals, such as syngas, biodiesel, or bio-polymers,” he said. Vela is an assistant professor of chem- istry at Iowa State University. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, a Master’s of Science in chemistry (with honors) and Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Rochester. Vela says the best advice he ever received was, “Get involved! Whenever you see an opportunity in front of you, explore it and seize on it.”
Jose Amden Senior Director Asurion
Jose Amden joined Asurion, a global leader in technology protection services and products, in 2006, after serving as manager, business and
www.hispanicengineer.com
Jose Santiago Senior Engineer BGE
Jose Santiago is a senior engineer in the Balti- more Gas and Electric Company (BGE) Substa- tion Contracting and Design Unit. It focuses on designing new substations and substation upgrades to cope with load growth and to increase the system’s reli- ability. Santiago is part of the civil design team that pays attention to steel structures, foundations and retaining wall design and engineering. He also coordinates with high voltage engineers to establish substation layout and evaluate potential properties for compatibility with substation use. The unit creates the drawing package that can be handed to field crews for construction. Before BGE, he had worked with Geo-Technology and Associates as a soil technician. Santiago, whose mother was a nurse and father a chemical engineer, earned both his Bachelor of Science in civil engineering, with an emphasis in structures and geo-technology, and master’s degree in civil engineering, with an emphasis in structures from the University of Maryland College Park. He considers obtaining his professional engineer license at the age of 27 his proudest professional achievement . “I set my sights on that goal and was able to break it down into more manageable pieces. I took a professional engineer refresher course and put in more than 200 hours of studying.”
Fernmarie Brady Systems Engineer Technical Lead Boeing
As a child, Fernmarie Brady wanted to be an astronaut. Now, as a tech lead on the U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor program within the Boeing Defense Space & Security division, she ensures that warfighters fly safely. She is responsible for
controlling one of the largest modernization programs to completion. Her concerns include support product validation and verification. She ensures that product performance measures are within specifications, leads the integration of internal/external cross-functional deliverables, and reports to executives. Brady is tech maven of wide interests. She has two degrees from the University of Puerto Rico: a 2001 Bachelor’s of Science in physics with a certificate in computational research, and a 2003 Master’s of Science in mechanical engineering with a concentration in computer science (AI) from the University of Puerto Rico. Recently she received her Master’s of Science
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channel development at Best Buy. He rose quickly from senior manager, marketing and business development to his present job where he leads a team of 25 professionals that provide leadership and vision to the supply chain management strategic initiatives, industrial engineering, facilities, and continuous improvement teams. That means when an Asurion cus- tomer’s cell phone is lost, stolen or damaged, a replacement phone that is the same make and model will be available the next business day. Amden says he is proud of the fact that he has built a highly effective and efficient team that arrives at work ready to enhance the company’s value. During his Asurion orientation, company CEO, Bret Comolli, told Amden’s group, “Don’t worry so much about your next job/position/title; instead, focus on doing the best that you can at your current role and good things will happen.” Amden says six years after joining the company and four jobs of increasing responsibility he sees how that advice has paid off. It doesn’t hurt that Amden holds the golden combination of degrees that allow one to work with fellow techs as well as leverage the firm’s commercial vision: a Bachelor of Science in industrial engineering from Universidad Catolica Argentina and a Master’ of Business Administration degree from Vanderbilt University.
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