Raul Montano (l) and Pettes Lab visiting scholar Raana Kashfi-Sabadad (r) conducting chemical synthesis of thermoelectric nanomaterials.
STEM students from Cochise College are gaining the opportunity to exceed and not just in the classroom.
Raul Montano and Ryan Smith, both STEM students from Cochise College, were each given a unique opportunity to venture out of Cochise County and study at renowned universities.
Raul Montano came to Cochise College to study engineering and math. This past spring, he was chosen out of several applicants to study at the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) summer program at the University of Connecticut School of Engineering.
The ten-week summer program aims to help undergraduates participate in cutting-edge experimental and computational nanotechnology research. This REU Site offers opportunities for students to engage in nanotechnology research on a range of scientific projects, including: advanced nanomaterials for thermal and magnetic to electrical energy conversion, phase change memory, biological response to pharmaco-therapeutic treatments at the individual cell level, 3D printing of nanoparticle-containing wearable electronics, and designer ultra-strength metal alloys.
Raul has successfully completed the prerequisites needed to transfer to university and will be returning to Arizona to complete his undergraduate degree at the University of Arizona this fall. He will be working on his bachelor’s in electrical engineering and afterward, he also plans to pursue his master’s degree.
“This experience has really jump-started my journey into grad school,” Raul said. “Seeing the innovation and types of problem-solving done here has really inspired me moving forward.”
Ryan Smith, a veteran and recent graduate from Cochise College, has been accepted into a competitive program at Stanford University School of Engineering this summer. The program is specifically for veterans studying at a community college and aims to help students adjust to university level coursework.
Ryan says this was a very exciting opportunity, but circumstances have not always been as bright.
“I attended the University of Albany. It was my first time in college and didn’t do so hot. I had to come back home, and my dad told me to either find a real job or join the Army.”
Ryan spent the next several years in the military working at Fort Huachuca in Human Intelligence. He eventually found himself enrolled at Cochise College.
“I began to go to classes full time and graduated in May 2016 with an Associate of Science in General Studies degree.”
Right now, Ryan is taking advantage of the courses at Stanford University to help continue his education.
“The program provides room and board, tuition, and I can take whatever classes I want,” Ryan said. “I am taking an observational astronomy class and a class in rhetoric (university writing), both of which have been interesting. There are several trips and activities planned for myself and the rest of the cohort to include visits to Google headquarters and LinkedIn. These past two weeks have been a whirlwind of activity, and I am just now catching my breath.”
Ryan plans to attend Arizona State University and continue his education in engineering this fall.
To find out more information about these programs and how you can apply, contact the STEM department at Cochise College.