1/1/2006 Rick Kubetz, Office of Engineering Communications
Written by Rick Kubetz, Office of Engineering Communications
Recently, Pablo Ruiz, a graduate electrical engineering student from Argentina, found himself in some very exclusive company. In late June, the Roberto Rocca Education Program announced that Ruiz was one of seven students to receive the first Roberto Rocca Fellowships—worth up to $100,000 each to seven students from Argentina, Mexico and Venezuela—for PhD studies in engineering and the applied sciences at leading universities in the United States and Europe.
“It was a very pleasant surprise to be named a Roberto Rocca Fellow,” Ruiz remarked. “It is a high honor, not only of my academic records, but also of the prestige the ECE Department and the College of Engineering have worldwide. Two weeks ago I went to Buenos Aires to meet the fellowship sponsors. Their first comment after mentioning Illinois was, ‘That is a great place to do a PhD’.”
According to Ruiz, the fellowship honors the late Roberto Rocca, former president of the Techint Group, a key player in the international steel tube market. The program is sponsored by the Techint, Tenaris, and Ternium companies.
“The Fellows were selected among PhD students in materials science, and chemical, mechanical and electrical engineering,” Ruiz explained. “With so many eligible candidates—and not being a metallurgist—I thought it was going to be hard to get the fellowship. I remember my adviser saying that the more candidates there are and the greater the odds against you, the better it will be when you win it. I thank him for having so much confidence in me.”
“The Roberto Rocca Education Program was founded on the belief that human resources that can advance industry and technology are critical to a country’s success in the global economy,” explained Daniel Krishock. “The program also reflects the long-standing commitment of the late Roberto Rocca and the sponsoring companies to supporting education at all levels in countries where the sponsoring companies have a major presence.”
In accordance with a competitive process open to students from participating countries, the Fellows were selected by a committee of senior managers from the program’s sponsoring companies. Selection was based on the committee’s evaluation of the candidates’ previous academic and professional accomplishments, potential for excelling in their designated PhD program and commitment to their home country’s economic and industrial development.
Each fellowship consists of two years of financial support to help the student meet all or part of the costs—including tuition, fees and living expenses—of his or her PhD studies. With the approval of the Roberto Rocca Education Program, Fellowships may be renewed for up to an additional two years. Fellows are not required to work or do research for the sponsoring companies.
“After graduation, I am planning to work in the industry,” Ruiz added. “I am eager to apply the research expertise acquired during my PhD, and gain practical experience. This fellowship gives me the opportunity to have a first-hand contact with companies which have a keen interest in high-quality research. In the long-term, I would like to return to the academic world to teach and do research. My career goal is to make a lasting contribution to the society through both the practical application of my research and the education of new professionals.”
# # #
About the Roberto Rocca Education Program
Founded in 2005, the Roberto Rocca Education Program is sponsored by the Techint, Tenaris and Ternium companies. The program is named in honor of Roberto Rocca, the late chairman of the Techint Group. The countries participating in the program are Argentina, Brazil, Italy, Mexico, Romania, and Venezuela. In addition to Fellowships for PhD studies, the program also awards scholarships for undergraduate study at domestic universities in the participating countries and expects to fund approximately 340 Scholarships in 2006. Fellowships and scholarships are awarded to students in a select number of disciplines that include materials science, mechanical, electrical and chemical engineering. For more information, visit the foundation’s website www.robertorocca.org.
Contact: Daniel Krishock, Roberto Rocca Education Program, dkrishock@robertorocca.org.