Tell us about your research project and why it is important to you.
My research project is focused on the design and synthesis of magnetic compound nanomaterials for water treatment. Water treatment has always been a topic of interest to me since clean water is a right and a fundamental need for all human beings.
Have you presented or published your research somewhere? Tell us about the experience.
I am the author of a chapter in a book published in 2018 titled “Composite Nanoadsorbents” and co-author of a scientific article published in 2019 in the journal
Environmental Science Nano
. I have presented my research within the UTEP Chemistry department, at various meetings of the Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Nanotechnology Enabled Water Treatment (NEWT), of which I am a member, and at the “Chemistry for New Frontiers” congress organized by the American Chemical Society (ACS), in Orlando, Florida.
My experience during each of these presentations and publications is that there is a lot of effort, preparation, and dedication behind scientific work that is complete enough to be presented publicly. Presentations and publications are good opportunities to receive feedback and (sometimes) good advice on the project.
What would you say is something interesting about your area of study that most people don't know?
Something interesting about my area of study that most people don’t know about is that the magnetic properties of some materials change on nanometric scales.
Tell us about your academic or professional collaborations with Mexico.
Thanks to CONACYT, I had the opportunity to work at the Advanced Materials Research Center (CIMAV) during the summer of 2018, collaborating with Dr. Alejandra García in the synthesis of nanoparticles of metal oxides.
What attracted you to Texas and UT El Paso?
In 2013, during my undergraduate studies, I had the opportunity to do a summer of research at UTEP and decided that I wanted to return here to obtain my postgraduate degree.
What have been some good things you did not expect from Texas or UT El Paso?
Being part of a national research center focused on water treatment with nanomaterials (NEWT) has been an unexpected great opportunity.
How has the support of ConTex and CONACYT impacted you?
Knowing that ConTex and CONACYT support me financially is a relief that allows me to focus on my work.
What kind of work do you hope to do in the future? How do you hope your research will benefit people in the United States and Mexico?
I hope to find a job where I can continue to support scientific collaboration between Mexico and the United States.
What advice would you give other Mexican students considering studying in Texas?
I would tell them that Texas is a place full of opportunities, and what they need to do is work to take advantage of them.
