Bio
I earned my bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and completed the Vanguardia Honors Program at the University of Cuenca. Before graduate school, I taught calculus, linear algebra, and differential equations in its Department of Computer Sciences.
Appointments
- 2026–present, Graduate Assistant, Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation, Rutgers University.
- 2025–2026, Graduate Fellow, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rutgers University.
- 2024–2025, Teaching Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Sciences, University of Cuenca.
Education
- M.S., Civil & Environmental Engineering, Rutgers University, 2027 (Expected)
- B.S., Civil Engineering, University of Cuenca, 2023
Awards
- 2026, Michael Argent Scholarship, North American Society for Trenchless Technology (NASTT).
- 2026, GeoEngineers, Inc. Scholarship, ACEC Research Institute Scholarship Program.
- 2026, Paul DeBruyn Memorial Student Travel Grant, Deep Foundations Institute (DFI).
- 2026, NHERI SPARC Travel Award, Texas Advanced Computing Center.
- 2026, Vilas and Ingrid Mujumdar Registration Grant, 13th National Conference on Earthquake Engineering (13NCEE), EERI.
- 2026, SEI Futures Fund Student Scholarship, Structural Engineering Institute (ASCE).
- 2025–2026, Graduate Fellowship, School of Engineering, Rutgers University.
- 2025, Selected Recipient, Fulbright–SENESCYT Foreign Student Program, Fulbright Ecuador (award not utilized).
- 2020–2023, Academic Excellence Award, University of Cuenca.
Service
- Geotechnical Research Subcommittee Representative, NSF NHERI Graduate Student Council.
- Volunteer, EERI’s Virtual Earthquake Reconnaissance Team (VERT).
- Member, ASCE Geo-Institute Technical Committee on Embankments, Dams, and Slopes.
Beyond research
Originally from Paute, Ecuador, I value education, perseverance, and the opportunities created by working with others. I believe in going the extra mile: asking one more question, taking the time to understand a difficult problem, and supporting those around me. These values guide my growth as a person and an engineer, and motivate me to use what I learn to help communities address natural hazards.
Acknowledgments
My deepest gratitude goes to my mother, Janeth, my brother, Freddy, and my sister, Maria Paz. Their love and support give meaning to every step of this journey. They are at the heart of everything I do and the reason I keep striving to grow.
I am grateful to Dr. Tyler Oathes for his mentorship, thoughtful discussions, and encouragement to ask questions and pursue research with curiosity and rigor. I also thank Dr. Daniel Barone and Dr. Robert Miskewitz for opportunities to develop my modeling skills, contribute to infrastructure research, and connect numerical modeling with practical engineering challenges, as well as for their guidance and funding support.
I thank Professor Vladimiro Tobar for challenging me to think in new ways and approach problems with a broader perspective, and Professors Aleksandr Khachatryan and Juan Aviles for encouraging me to deepen my knowledge and pursue graduate studies. Their encouragement helped shape my academic path and continues to inspire my work.