Dr. Armando Riesco left his mark not only in the Department of Industrial Engineering at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez (UPRM), but also throughout Puerto Rico. He, along with a special group of professors, contributed significantly to the industry, providing a master’s degree in Industrial Engineering under a bachelor’s program at the UPRM. We remember him for his passion for excellence and his philosophy “education is teaching to think.”
His impact transcended the professional and teaching level to the personal and human level. His traces were captured by expressions of his students: “Great human being, teacher of teachers, professor of professors. An example of a human being for many.” “The best professor and a special human being. He always loved his students as colleagues and as children.” Armando professed a desire and goal that he achieved in spades: “to leave the world better than how he had found it.”
He also dreamed of integrating an Industrial Engineering Department into the Government of Puerto Rico to improve its operations and administrative management at both, central and municipal, levels. In gratitude for the great positive impact he had on teaching, on our lives, and the lives of many, a group of relatives, alumni, fellow professors, and friends established a fund that seeks to grant a minimum of three annual scholarships to industrial engineering students.
The purpose is to award an annual scholarship of $1,000 and one to two scholarships of $500 to students who have completed the courses ININ 4150 – Introduction to Operations Research Models, and ININ 4155 – Design and Analysis of Production Systems and Inventory Management. A $500 prize will also be awarded to an outstanding capstone project (ININ 4079 – Design Project), carried out in government (central or municipal) or in small and medium-sized enterprises (SME).
BECAS
A. One grant of $1,000 to students with economic needs and an average GPA greater or equal than 3.5.
B. One to two grants of $500 to students with economic needs and an average GPA greater or equal than 3.0.
C. One grant of $500 to a team of students that successfully completed an outstanding capstone project (ININ 4079).
ELIGIBILITY
The applicants must be students of the Department of Industrial Engineering in the RUM, must have a minimum 3.5 GPA (out of a 4.0 scale) for the $1,000 grant and must have a minimum of 3.0 (out of a 4.0 scale) for the grants of $500. The information of economic needs will be requested directly by the department to the Office of Economic Assistance (Oficina de Asistencia Económica). For more information, please visit the criteria of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on the UPRM Office of Economic Assistance page (https://www.uprm.edu/asistenciaeconomica/otros-documentos/beca-pell/ ).
CRITERIA FOR OTORGATION
The scholarship recipients are chosen through a process that first requires the confirmation of economic need, according to the criteria established by FAFSA. Afterwards, the results for academic achievement are evaluated:
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- Department GPA (50%)
- General GPA (30%)
- Essay (20%)
The prize for the outstanding capstone project (ININ 4079) will be awarded by the committee formed by the department director and the Capstone Committee of Industrial Engineering. A winning team will be determined based on impact/benefit of the project and how industrial engineering principles were applied.
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- Benefit/impact (70%)
- Application of Principles (30%)
COMPOSITION OF THE EVALUATION COMMITTEE
Three members from the faculty of Industrial Engineering:
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- Director of the Department of Industrial Engineering
- President of the Module of Research of Operations (Módulo de Investigación de Operaciones)
- Capstone Projects Coordinator
Two members representing the industry:
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- President of the Industrial Advisory Board
- Representative of the Industrial Advisory Board in the area of service.
HOW TO APPLY
- Complete online application.
- Digital transcript of credits. This can be requested through the Registration Office (Oficina de Registraduría) of UPRM ( https://www.uprm.edu/registraduria/transcripcion-de-creditos-digital/ ). The email that will be used to receive digital transcript from the Office of Registration will be: director.inin@upr.edu.
- Applicants must submit a minimum of one (up to two additional) references from a UPRM industrial engineering professor reinforcing the applicant’s contributions to the industrial engineering profession and character.
NOTIFICATION TO WINNERS
The chosen students will be notified through email or phone number during the second week of classes of the first semester (August to December) of the following academic year. The grant will be sent using direct deposit to the student’s registered bank account. For the capstone project reward, the reward will be given once the semester is over. The decisions of the evaluation committee are final; the application documents will not be returned.
IMPORTANT REMINDERS
- Make sure to complete the application.
- Document your participation in activities of the university and the community this past year. Include any awards and work experience you have had.
- Request the transcript so that it is received no later than the deadline. Remember that we will only accept official digital transcripts emitted directly from the Office of Registration of UPRM.
- The information in the application must correspond with the information that appears in your transcript.
- You will receive an email or phone call confirming that your application was received.
- Revise carefully your application before submitting.
- Contact the Department of Industrial Engineering if you have any question related to these scholarships.
