Fellow:Ursula Victoria Ubillús Guzmán


Name Ursula Victoria Ubillús Guzmán School (Cohort) Universidad de Ingenieria & Tecnologia (2023 cohort) Majoring in Bioengineering Country Perú Email ursula.ubillus@utec.edu.pe

Bio

Ursula is majoring Bioengineering at the University of Engineering and Technology (UTEC) in Lima, Peru. She considers herself the most curious person, always looking to learn new things, especially in topics she's passionate about: science, the climate crisis, common social or cultural discussions (that can be a little philosophy), and new technologies (such as AI). Additionally, she loves engaging in creative and physical activities such as sports, dancing, painting, playing musical instruments, or really anything! Her lifestyle is not static; she always wants to try new things and be involved in projects at her university and in her community. The phrase that drives her to strive for improvement in every aspect of her life is:

"Let's not expect things to change if you always do the same." - Albert Einstein

She loves to share what little she knows, so she has engaged with various volunteers in her life. Starting at a public hospital in Lima, Peru, called Instituto Nacional de Salud del Niño-(INSN)/National Institude of Childrens Health, she led discussions with teenagers about sexual education and family planning (2018). Nowadays, she attends to an NGO ORCA Peru since 2021, where she assists in the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of various marine mammal species along the coast of Lima, especially sea lions and penguins. (They are incredibly intelligent and adorable! Feel free to ask her about any experiences with these crazy and curious animals!)

Furthermore, she's searching for new technologies to improve people's quality life and environmental friendly, particulate pationate about: renewable energies, protein engineering, IA, and bioremedation.

She believes that the educational aspect is important but not the only thing that can help one improve as a person and within the community. Therefore, since her freshman year (2021), she has been actively participating in student organizations at her university. She started organizing events aimed at supporting women in STEM fields and highlighting the importance of closing gender gaps. Recently, she has also become involved in a research project focused on developing a robot for ocean exploration (2023).

Last but not least, discussing her extracurricular activities is essential to understanding her better because she describes herself as an energetic person who believes that routines provide sustainable systems for life but should be innovated once they become tiresome. She loves nature, health, and social documentaries, and watching videos about significant events in the world, such as 9/11, Chernobyl, or WWII. Sports are an essential part of her life, as they help her improve various skills. Really enjoys trying different sports, from swimming to trail running, and believes that this kind of activities instill discipline and resilience in her life. Her family and friends are the most precious things in her life, and her top priority.

Achievements

First place at International competition of Junnior Clubs of Synchronized Swimming representing Perú in Chile - Junnior free team (2014)
Honorable Mention in Model United Nations debates at San Martin de Porres University (Lima, Perú) in the Committee of Forestry (COFO), a global technical committee and one of FAO's governing bodies(2018)
Team member at Society of Women Engineer - 'SWE' at workshop areas (2021)
Second place at the International Contest "Soluciones DeMentes" of disrupted ideas promoted by SociaLab