UTEP Student Wins First Place in Research Competition at Toronto, Canada
Anahy Diaz | February 4, 2020
Fernando Monroy Faudoa, an Industrial and Systems Engineering student at the University of Texas at El Paso, won first place in the STEM Undergraduate Research Competition at the Fourth Annual North American Industrial Engineering and Operations Management Conference in Toronto, Canada this past semester.
Monroy Faudoa, who is part of the ISE graduating class for the Fall of 2019, presented his research at the international conference hosted by the Industrial Engineering and Operations Management Society (IEOM), a non-profit organization that has become a premier platform for critical thinking among STEM students and professionals around the world.
“I got interested because they (IEOM) are an international organization with many connections in the Industry,” Monroy Faudoa said. “With multiple universities doing research in topics of my interest such as optimization, teaching innovation, and technology advancements.”
Monroy Faudoa contributed to this effort by presenting research that focused on the impact and success 3D printing and CAD/CAM design can have on students outside of STEM; which could potentially encourage them to pursue a career in the integrated academic disciplines.
The study analyses the achievement behind UTEP’s 3D open printing program at Learning Environments (LE) located in the Undergraduate Learning Center. This program, which is currently ranked among the top 3D printing programs in both users and printouts throughout the United States, has steadily increased year by year while utilizing less than 10% of the printers and staff of much larger programs.
“I feel very proud and excited to continue working on it,” said Monroy Faudoa, who began his new position as a Research Assistant for UTEP’s Center for Research in Engineering and Technology Education this semester. “I had the pleasure to assist and present, but this is not mine, this is for Learning Environments, CREaTE and all the people that are part of these projects. People are the most valuable asset any department could have, and I am really happy to be part of this.“
Monroy Faudoa will continue working on researching the effect technology and digitalization is having on education, which could potentially create cohesion with other fields like art and business, leading to a high improvement in education, innovation and entrepreneurship.
Monroy Faudoa said this conference experience, aimed at advancing theory and practice by fostering networking and collaboration among participants, reassured this idea. “Learning about fields outside my field of study has helped me to understand the mindset of other professionals and students, improving teamwork, and communication.”
To learn more about the North American Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management go to: http://ieomsociety.org/toronto2019/
