This graduation season marks a very special milestone for the Baldaguez Research Group as we celebrate the graduation of Cecilia, William, Grace, Andrés, Víctor, and Kaishmarie, the first cohort of undergraduate researchers to graduate after being part of our group.
Each of them joined the lab at a different stage of its very first year of early development and contributed in a unique way to what the group has become today. From helping establish a brand-new laboratory and developing our first experimental systems to launching new research directions, their contributions are closely intertwined with the story of our group’s first two years.
William was the very first student to join the Baldaguez Research Group. Even before the lab officially existed. He reached out to Dr. Baldaguez Medina through LinkedIn before she began her appointment at UPRM and became the group’s first undergraduate researcher. During his first semester, he helped set up the laboratory from the ground up. After completing a semester-long co-op at DuPont, William returned to a much more established lab and continued his research in electrochemical desalination. Following graduation, he begins his professional career with Collins Aerospace.
Grace joined shortly after William as the group’s second undergraduate researcher. During that first semester, she also played an important role in establishing the laboratory and later expanded her research experience at Argonne National Laboratory, where she worked alongside Dr. Baldaguez Medina and collaborator Dr. Valentino on neodymium recovery. This semester, Grace begins the next stage of her scientific career by pursuing her Ph.D. at the University of Miami.
Kaishmarie joined the group during its first year as a volunteer, motivated by her interest in gaining research experience and contributing to the new laboratory. During that semester, she balanced her volunteer involvement with her undergraduate coursework, including Unit Operations Laboratory with Dr. Baldaguez Medina, and became another important part of the group’s earliest cohort.
The group continued to grow during the second semester with the arrival of Cecilia, Víctor, and Andrés.
Cecilia joined after completing a co-op experience at DuPont and quickly distinguished herself through her reliability, direct communication, and strong sense of direction. During approximately a year and a half with the group, her work contributed significantly to establishing what has since become an important research direction within the lab: electrochemical sensing and detection. She is now an engineer at L3Harris.
Víctor joined the group determined to pursue his first undergraduate research experience. He worked extensively on the electrochemical detection of arsenic and distinguished himself through his persistence and strong commitment to laboratory safety. His experience eventually led to a summer internship at OcyonBio, followed by a part-time position during his final semester. After graduation, Víctor continues his journey with OcyonBio, now as an engineer.
Andrés joined during the same period after previously taking Unit Operations Laboratory with Dr. Baldaguez Medina. His dedication, curiosity, and ability to quickly learn and develop new systems made him an integral member of the group. Over approximately a year and a half, Andrés helped establish laboratory infrastructure, developed electrochemical systems, conducted research in desalination, and most recently began incorporating biomass-derived materials into capacitive deionization technologies. His journey with the group is also continuing. This semester, Andrés begins his master’s degree as a graduate researcher in the Baldaguez Medina Research Group, building upon the research he started as an undergraduate.
Together, these six students represent much more than our first graduating undergraduate cohort. They were part of the formative years of the Baldaguez Research Group. Helping transform a new laboratory into an active research environment while simultaneously developing their own paths as engineers and researchers.
For Dr. Baldaguez Medina, their graduation is an especially meaningful milestone:
“There will be many students who become part of our group over the years, but there will only ever be one first cohort. These students took a chance on joining a brand-new research group and helped build what our laboratory is today. I had the privilege of watching them grow alongside the lab, and I could not be prouder of where they are headed. Thank you for contributing to this group, and for making these first two years so special.”
Congratulations, Cecilia, William, Grace, Andrés, Víctor, and Kaishmarie! We are incredibly proud of you and excited to see where your next chapters take you.
