Gerardo Trevino '10 is looking to a bright future in renewable energy

Gerardo Trevino

Gerardo Trevino

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(May 11, 2010)--When undergraduate electrical and computer engineering (ECE) major Gerardo Trevino '10 enrolled at UTSA in 2008 as a junior transfer student from San Antonio College, he had no idea that he was stepping aboard an unstoppable rocket.

In just two years, Trevino participated in some of the College of Engineering's most vital initiatives. His highlight? As a senior, he helped ECE faculty in the UTSA Autonomous Control Engineering Laboratory develop and submit a funding proposal to the state Energy Conservation office. That proposal was successful, netting UTSA $1.3 million to install solar panels on two Main Campus Buildings.

Additionally, Trevino has supported the College of Engineering's Interactive Technology Experience Center, an outreach initiative that offers hands-on activities to teach kids that careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics are fun and accessible. Focusing on robotics, telecommunications, scanning electron microscope applications and design for manufacturing, the center is supported by the AT&T Foundation, the philanthropic arm of AT&T Inc.

Trevino chose to attend UTSA because it was close to his family that had relocated from Monterrey, Mexico, to San Antonio in 2001. But, the short drive to and from school is no longer the reason he recommends UTSA to others.

"I love how accessible the teachers are," said Trevino. "Once you get to your upper-division courses, the classes are small and we get to interact with the professors one-on-one. I mean, I got to help write a grant with my professors. Where else would you get to do that?"

And, although Trevino crossed the commencement stage last Saturday, he expects to return to his alma mater as a master's student focusing on renewable energy. He is eager to work with Les Shephard, USAA Robert F. McDermott Distinguished Chair in Engineering, who recently joined UTSA from Sandia National Laboratories to head up the university's Institute for Conventional, Alternative and Renewable Energy. To complement his education, Trevino already has pinpointed a series of renewable energy-related professional development opportunities in Texas, Mexico and Spain.

"I have a plan of action," said Trevino, considering his future. "A lot of things are going to happen at UTSA in energy research, so I'm making a calculated decision to pursue my master's degree here. My focus is to learn as much as I can. If I work hard here, I know the job offers will follow."

 

 

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