UH Engineering Undergrad Headed for Lawrence Berkeley National Lab
Danny Guevara, a first-generation college student at the University of Houston, was recently selected for the prestigious Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) program. He will spend the fall semester conducting research at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California.
“As a mechanical engineer intern, I will be conducting field walks and reliability assessment of mechanical equipment rooms, mark-up piping drawings to show actual field conditions, and assist engineering construction managers to conduct mechanical related work at the construction site,” said Guevara, who is pursuing a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering at the Cullen College of Engineering.
Guevara’s academic journey stems from a childhood propensity to disassemble toys and other objects around his home. “I was always curious about how things were produced and assembled,” he said. “This mentality allowed me to look at objects and my environment in a different perspective.”
He hopes to gain a better understanding of thermodynamics, hydraulic systems and heat transfer applications while contributing to ongoing research at the laboratory during his internship.
“This experience will help me further understand what it is to be a mechanical engineer in a professional setting,” he said.
Guevara, who is interested in the dynamics of human motion, works in the UH research lab of Christopher J. Arellano, assistant professor in the department of health and human performance. There, he assists with research projects and helps build and design custom structures for future biomechanics experiments.
He is also a member of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), both of which he credits for giving him opportunities to grow – from attending leadership conferences to using 3-D software to help design, construct and test a prosthetic arm for children. He has also served as a physics tutor with the Scholar Enrichment Program.
Guevara plans to earn a master’s degree with a concentration in biomechanics.