
University of Nebraska Lincoln
PhD in Chemical and Biomedical Engineering expected 2022
We are excited to introduce a WELocal Rising Star FY22 Award winner, and our GradSWE International Graduate Team Leader, Alejandra Arcila Castillo! Alejandra is also a recipient of the 2021 UNL College of Engineering Professional Development Fellowship.
Alejandra joined SWE in August 2020 and immediately got involved with the GradSWE section at UNL. She volunteered organizing monthly seminars with alumni speakers where they shared their experiences and coached current graduate students for success in academia and industry. She participated as a mentor for SWE members at UNL through the GradSWE mentoring program and provided guidance about pursuing a postgraduate degree. At the same time, she got involved with the international graduate student team (IGT) of GradSWE leadership. As a team member she helped coordinate seminars dedicated to fulfilling needs of international graduate students. For FY22 she took the lead of the IGT where she coordinates a team of 3 SWE members to continue providing personal and professional resources for international graduate students. Alejandra is participating in the SWE Leadership Development Program (LDP) advanced track as well as in the Collegiate Leadership Institute (CLI) FY22, as she aspires to continue her work within SWE and keep supporting SWE mission upon graduation.
Alejandra's graduate research is focused on the areas of electrochemistry, electrode/electrolyte interfaces and surface engineering applied to the development of signal extraction technology and medical devices. After graduating, Alejandra plans to work in R&D of scientific instrumentation and medical devices.
Alejandra’s hobbies include cooking, weight lifting, gardening and All Things DIY!
Fun fact: Alejandra has training in coffee roasting!