Gina Zavala Alvarado, a senior metallurgical and materials engineering major at The University of Texas at El Paso, was recently named the recipient of the nationally competitive Metallurgy Scholarship and internship awarded by the Ellwood Group. Alvarado is the first Miner to earn this honor that recognizes deserving and talented metallurgical engineering students who exhibit an interest in the heavy metals manufacturing industry.
The Ellwood Group provides industry expertise in steelmaking, forging, machining, welding, casting, and distribution. The company manufactures and markets metal working components to an array of industries worldwide to include oil and gas, aerospace, defense, transportation, and infrastructure among others.
Alvarado will receive a $15,000 scholarship along with a paid internship at one of Ellwood’s U.S. business units during the summer of 2021. The purpose of the scholarship is to promote the study of materials science and metallurgical engineering.
Outside the classroom, Alvarado is a member of the Metallurgical, Materials, and Biomedical Engineering (MMBME) Student Advisory Board who has helped students through the current challenges of virtual learning. She said communication between students as well as with faculty is critical to their success.
Alvarado said her interest in materials science and metallurgy stemmed from her love of science, specifically chemistry and physics. She shared her fascination with how science relates to materials and added that she believed that there will be opportunities in the future to create new alloys through metallurgical engineering to meet people’s needs and enhance daily life.
The aspiring engineer said she hoped that her Ellwood internship would reinforce the concepts she has learned through her materials science and metallurgical engineering courses and involve her in industrial applications. She said she was excited to get hands-on experience and to learn from industry professionals who will serve as her mentors. She said that her UTEP education and training prepared her well for this opportunity. Alvarado said she plans to use her scholarship to pursue masters and doctoral degrees.
For more information: The University of Texas at El Paso
