CRISTIAN GRANDE
My name is Cristian Grande. I am a Mechanical Engineer by the PUCP and I work as Head of Quality of the Moldeados Peruana S.A. company. My work is related, among other things, to manage quality plans as well as investigate and coordinate solutions with heads of business divisions and production, and our customers. I also lead the team of corporate sustainability.
The work I did in POLYCOM has been very helpful in my process of professional and personal growth. Personally, internships in other research groups abroad gave me the opportunity to meet and share experiences with people from other cultures. Moreover, thanks to research and publications, I learned methodologies and research techniques, and acquire some knowledge that I currently apply in the industrial sector and which will be of great benefit in the future.
OSCAR ARROYO
My name is Oscar Arroyo and I am convinced that having participated in the POLYCOM group has opened many doors. During my stay in the group, I learned to think globally and that if I can do first levels research, even comparable to those which are performed in industrialized countries. My research on the processing of biodegradable polymers gave me the opportunity to interact with other researchers around the world. At the same time, I could write my thesis to achieve the engineering degree and four research papers that were published in journals of high scientific rigor. The articles born from this research were quoted in a book about biodegradable polymers, which made me proud of the work we did in POLYCOM and of being taken as a worldwide reference.
At the same time, these articles about my research on POLYCOM , became my letter in order to obtain a scholarship to study a Masters in Canada and further investigate the issue of biodegradable polymers industrially and write one more article on the subject. After acquiring the master degree, I worked in the area of research and development for a company doing biomedical applications. Currently, I am studying a PhD in Canada and got a scholarship to do my research on the properties of solid insulation in power transformers. My experience in both the master and the POLYCOM -PUCP group was considered for acceptance into this program and obtaining financial support.
ALFREDO HIJAR
My name is Alfredo Hijar and I entered the Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru (PUCP ) in 2005 to pursue a career in Mechanical Engineering. In 2007, I participated in an exchange program between the University of Stuttgart (Germany ) and PUCP. There I took courses in engineering and materials science in order to expand the knowledge acquired in previous semesters.
Back in the PUCP (2008), I wanted to implement what I learned and coincidentally, the Polymer Research Group and Compounds ( POLYCOM ) was looking for students who could collaborate with researches being conducted. Dr. Fernando Torres, leader of the research group , interviewed me and he explained the context and objectives of the group within the PUCP. I was fascinated by the various investigations that the group had done and I decided to join it.
The first investigation I was involved was the analysis and characterization of the spider silk mechanical properties. Dr. Fernando Torres and Mr. Omar Troncoso, group researcher, led me into the world of university research. They gave me the tools I needed to develop analytical, decision-making and synthesis skills. In the POLYCOM laboratory, I could perform different mechanical tests thanks to the equipment. After several months of research, he found the opportunity to travel to Spain, to the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid ( UPM ) to perform some research related to the conducting experiments . The trip was enriching from all points of view. I had the opportunity to work with excellent teachers and researchers of the UPM , got to know a different culture and made many friends there. Upon returning to the PUCP I applied to Support Program in Research Initiation and with the help of the POLYCOM group I won the prize and made a report of the analysis and mechanical characterization of spider silk.
After the report, I continued working with the group until July 2009 and I started practicing in a consulting firm. Thanks to the skills I acquired in the research group, I was able to develop my work satisfactorily in major investment projects. Having been immersed in the scientific world, ie having reviewed papers or indexed journals, having conducted methodologies validated by the scientific community and analyze the data to shape and coherence with the theory studied, I developed skills that I currently apply, those were of much help.
Thanks to them , I applied and won a Fulbright Scholarship last year. It allowed me to study in the United States. Now I’m heading to a new academic experience waiting to apply various learned concepts and develop new ones, all thanks to POLYCOM-PUCP group.