Previous Institution: University of Texas at Austin

Pronouns: he/him

Rodolfo was born and raised in Edinburg, Texas; a small town located on the southern-most border of Texas and Mexico. He is the oldest of three siblings, four dogs, and two cats. Rodolfo completed his Bachelors/Masters of Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin in 2022, alongside a Certificate in Core Texts and Ideas from the Jefferson Scholars Program. Here he became interested in nanoscale scientific phenomena primarily found in 2D and low-dimensional materials.

He is currently a PhD student in Dr. Jun Lou's N3L nanomechanics lab studying the intersection of thermal and mechanical properties of nanomaterials. Outside of the lab, Rodolfo likes to practice boxing, play guitar (with harmonica), and read/write poetry.

Why I decided to go to grad school:

I wanted to pursue a PhD to advance my own scientific curiosity and explore interesting employment opportunities in national and government labs.

Fun fact about me:

I love writing songs and poetry!

Favorite thing about Rice:

The people!

Favorite thing about Houston:

There is an amazing variety of culture and coffee shops.