Waleska has been a Graduate Advisor in Smead Aerospace Engineering Sciences since March 2019. Waleska is from San Juan, Puerto Rico, where she obtained her Bachelor of Science (BS) in Environmental Science at Universidad Ana G. Mendez (formerly Universidad Metropolitana or UMET). She has a Master of Science (MS) degree in Environmental Science and additional graduate studies in secondary science education from the University of Texas at El Paso. Waleska is an inaugural Gates Millennium Scholar alumna, a program that allowed her to complete her undergraduate and graduate studies.
What is your motto?
What matters most is how much love you give to the world.
What has been your favorite work or personal project so far?
My favorite work project has been the development of a strategy to create an inclusive culture committee in the aerospace engineering department, as this has led me to get in touch with wonderful people around campus and develop a great relationship with some of our undergraduate and graduate students.
What’s something most people don’t know about you?
I was part of the group of pioneer scientists using radio occultation to study the atmosphere, leading to a highly cited publication in the Journal of Geophysical Research (JGR). I did this work as an undergraduate during an internship at NCAR. Although I eventually went to do an MS in environmental science and worked with Monarch butterflies, what I did at NCAR had a tremendous impact in my professional and personal life.
One thing you’re willing to spend way too much on...
Travel! There is nothing like experiencing other places, people, cultures, food. Me and my family love to travel together and our fondest memories are from these experiences.
Who would you most like to meet and why?
I would like to meet U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, because her journey to Congress has been unique, and she is Puerto Rican, like me.
Your coworkers can always count on you to...
Be helpful in any way I can.