UB Student Engineer Takes Top Prizes in National Competition

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- A University at Buffalo student has taken the top honor in the prestigious "Extreme Engineering Challenge" held recently by the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) Conference in Phoenix.

Industry sponsors named Richard Linares, a Yonkers resident and student in the UB Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, the competition's top engineer out of the 17 students who were nominated.

Linares was cited for his engineering contributions and team leadership qualities, including creativity and enthusiasm.

The honor came with a $2,000 prize.

His team also won first place in the 24-hour extreme engineering contest in which teams competed to design the best water supply system that could be adapted to serve impoverished Latin American regions. Linares and other members of the "Playground H2O" winning team, sponsored by Intel, shared $4,000 in prize money.

The round-the-clock contest was one of many educational and professional events at the 32nd national conference of the SHPE, an organization committed to enhancing America's position in math, science, engineering and technology with a strong and talented Hispanic workforce. The challenge helps develop and promote students' engineering skills by simulating an accelerated working scenario with deadlines, presentations, reviews and obstacles.

Upon graduation from UB, Linares intends to pursue a doctorate with a concentration in dynamics and controls. He said that the wide availability of many engineering clubs and on-campus activities at UB has enhanced his academic development.

Linares is external vice-president of the UB chapter of the Society for Hispanic Professional Engineers, vice president of the UB chapter of Students for the Exploration and Development of Space and a research assistant in UB's Advanced Navigations and Controls Lab. He also has been involved with the UB chapter of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public university, a flagship institution in the State University of New York system and its largest and most comprehensive campus. UB's more than 28,000 students pursue their academic interests through more than 300 undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. Founded in 1846, the University at Buffalo is a member of the Association of American Universities.