Meet the Class of 2021: Ricardo Ramón Rangel González

Ricardo Ramón Rangel González

College of Engineering, Industrial and Systems Engineering

"Life begins at the end of your comfort zone."

Hometown: Caracas, Venezuela

Minor: Philosophy, Politics and Economics

Fun fact about yourself: Before moving onto campus my freshman year, I could not find NOVA on a map and had not even visited ANY American college campus yet. (In fact, that was only my third visit, ever, to the United States).

If you participated in an internship, what company was it for and what were your job responsibilities?

Spring 2020 Co-Op at Cummins. I worked with a group of Manufacturing and Quality Engineers in a team introducing a new product to the market.

Which faculty member has made the biggest impact in your undergraduate education and how?

Matt Earnest and Dr. Jaime Camelio allowed me to work along with them as a volunteer in the early stages of the Learning Factory, then as an Undergraduate Researcher; my work in the Learning Factory changed my view of manufacturing and gave me the experience that I could use to land my Co-Op and get the best out of it, later transitioning into a Full-Time offer from Cummins.

Aside from your classmates, what has been the best part of being an industrial and systems engineering major at Virginia Tech?

The support I feel from the department. I truly feel the commitment from every faculty and staff member to our success. I have felt this commitment from daily interactions and from economical, emotional, and academic support given to me as a student, to my research team, and to the student organizations I am part of.

What club or activity excites you most at Virginia Tech and why?

SHPE (Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers) and IISE (Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers), because they both provided me with important tools to develop my professional growth and with opportunities both in and outside of Virginia Tech. I really enjoy giving back to younger members of the organizations as an upper classman.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your student career so far?

The multiple scholarships I have been given through the department and the College of Engineering. As an international student from Venezuela, the economic compromise that my studies represent for my family has always been a burden to me. Achieving these scholarships has allowed me to help with this and to release some of that burden.

What was your defining moment at Virginia Tech and how has it prepared you for your future career?

It has to be 2019 (a little of spring, summer and fall). I had many of these moments but 2019 was the year I moved into my role as a Resident Advisor and into Undergraduate Research. Both experiences helped me to improve my professionalism and helped me develop valuable interpersonal and technical skills that were instrumental in my Co-Op, and will in turn help me in my future career.

What are your plans after graduation?

I have accepted a full-time offer with Cummins as a Quality Engineer starting in late June 2021. I plan to give myself some time after graduation to explore the area (as much as COVID-19 allows) and spend time with relatives before jumping into my professional career.