I3@USD-Fall 2025

Precious Perlas (ISyE) recently switched careers, temporarily, from engineering to education for elementary students enrichment. She led a Legos, Leadership and STEM class for first- through fifth‑graders. She is now transitioning into an engineering role with FedEx, where she will work at LAX. Elliot Watson (IntE) conquered the Baja 500 — a world-renowned off-road motorsport race held on Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula — taking home the win in Class 10. We are so proud to celebrate this victory! Ysabel Yu (IntE) is in her second year of her PhD program in civil engineering at the University of Washington. She has presented her research in equitable climate adaptation at the Engineering Project Organization Conference in Maine, as well as her research in walkable city infrastructure at the National Sustainable Society Conference in Washington. 2024 Yaqoub Alsaeed (EE) joined Kuwait Fund’s Engineers and Architects training program, and is currently interning at PGESCo in Egypt, specializing in instrumentation, control systems and process engineering. He will serve as an intern with Schlumberger Kuwait later in 2025.

the engineering services firm while working remotely from her new home in San Francisco. Juliana Grigg (ME) recently graduated and is enjoying time off before the start of her first job in the management associate for leadership development program at ConEdison in NYC. Before her move back across the country, she is making the most of her time off pursuing new hobbies and traveling the world, including trips to Miami, Italy and Spain.

2021 Haley Guastaferro (EE) has been working at Qualcomm for three years as a hardware engineer, specializing in next-generation automotive designs. Outside of engineering, she launched Hoppy Dayz, a mobile bar trailer business, and dabbles in real estate investing. Guastaferro enjoys combining her technical skills with entrepreneurial ventures.

Christopher Sosa (EE) is working at Northrop Grumman in Redondo Beach, California, as an electrical engineer. Graduate Alumni Mackenzie Carter ’23 (MS-ADS) is attending Drexel University's Kline School of Law, starting Fall 2025, aiming to specialize in intellectual property and technology law. Jon C. Colón ’24 (MESH) recently switched careers to start a new position as an associate professor for USD's Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering Master of Science in Sustainable Engineering and Health program while working as a full-time project engineer in the private sector. Tara Dehdari ’25 (MS-ADS) recently graduated from USD’s Applied Data Science program after transitioning from a biotech role as an associate scientist. Her capstone project — a food recommendation app for diabetic patients — is included in USD’s digital research repository. Ian Timmons ’23 (MS-AAI) founded OurGov, a platform that integrates local governments’ data into a single hub for practical AI solutions. By partnering with cities and special districts, OurGov deploys a universal 311 system, computer vision-based asset detection and water/wastewater optimization to streamline services and reduce costs. ThinkGenAI building a cutting-edge platform for knowledge workers to boost human productivity and creativity. One of his key responsibilities is to make architectural, UI/UX and AI decisions. Viktor Veselov ’24 (MS-AAI) is working as lead AI engineer at

EMAD ALBALAWI

2023 Emad Albalawi (ME) recently switched careers to start a new position in investment strategies and business development. Currently working in the renewable energy industry, he and his team closed $3 billion in deals with Jinko Solar, TCL and Envision. He is proud to help lead the renewable energy manufacturing industry in Saudi Arabia. Dakota Gates (IntE) recently completed her internship producing gifting suites for the Grammys and Oscars while continuing her role as a fan coordinator for 1iota. Beginning May 2025, she became an assistant to directors and producers for a film.

Vicente Galvan ’23 A lumnus Vicente Galvan has been working as a project manager for the University of San Diego’s Department of Planning, Design and Construction since shortly after graduating with his mechanical engineering degree in 2023. As a USD alumnus and employee, his connection to the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering continues to run deep. Today, Galvan is driving three simultaneous campus remodeling and construction projects forward for the school. Galvan’s journey leading up to this role is rooted in his family ties. His mother, Patty Galvan, has been a devoted USD employee for 29 years, to ensure her children receive the benefit of free tuition. Being accepted into USD was more than an academic achievement; it was a profound milestone. Galvan is the first in his family to graduate from college. The pinnacle of this shared journey came on graduation day. In a moment that encapsulated their joint effort and sacrifice, Galvan walked across the stage to receive his diploma from President Harris and was accompanied by his mother — a special privilege afforded to long-serving USD employees. Now pursuing his MBA at USD, Galvan continues to build on the foundation laid by his mother, shaping the future of his alma mater for generations to come.

HALEY GUASTAFERRO

Sabrina Smith (ME) is a Naval Architect at SpaceX, where she designs, maintains and supports vessels used to recover crews and flight hardware from space missions. Daniella Walter (ME) is in the fifth year of her mechanical engineering doctorate program at UC Santa Barbara, where she researches how mechanical cues influence tissue development and breast cancer progression. She recently attended a workshop hosted through the American Association for the Advancement of Science on Capitol Hill, where she had the opportunity to advocate for federal science and research funding.

JULIANA GRIGG

Miguel Mendoza (EE) is a full-time spacecraft power systems engineer at Millennium Space Systems, a Boeing Company. As he approaches his one year mark, he is proud to serve as the responsible electrical engineering authority for multiple satellites. He also manages several electrical products as a project manager. Maria Rossman (ISyE) started a full-time position with Boeing as a quality engineer in Huntington Beach, California. She finished her degree studying abroad during her Semester at Sea in Fall 2024, alongside four ISyE classmates.

NICOLE KOUTELOS

Nicole Koutelos (ISyE) is a project manager at NextEra Energy Resources based in Palm Beach, Florida, where she leads early-stage development of utility-scale solar energy projects, overseeing engineering scope, project planning, permitting strategy and risk management. Recently elected chapter president of SHPE South Florida Professional, Koutelos leads regional outreach, mentorship and professional development initiatives to strengthen Latino representation in STEM.

YAQOUB ALSAEED

Juliette Dignum (IntE ) recently joined HelioVolta as an associate project manager. Driven by her passion for renewable energy, she now supports solar energy projects at

DANIELLA WALTER

MARIA ROSSMAN

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