The Marlan and Rosemary Bourns College of Engineering (BCOE) hosted IGNITE, its second annual Student Professional Conference, at the Riverside Convention Center on February 22.
 

The event brought together over 200 guests — including students, alumni, faculty, and industry professionals — for a full day of inspiration, learning, and networking. IGNITE, organized by the BCOE Student Success team, was designed to provide valuable professional development opportunities to engineering students and featured a dynamic mix of keynote speakers, breakout sessions, an alumni panel, a career exhibition, and mock interviews.
 

“I cannot recommend the IGNITE conference enough to the BCOE student body,” said Mike Verdin (BS, Mechanical Engineering, ’04), an alum, a NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory manager, and one of the event’s keynote speakers. “I wish this conference were available to me when I got my mechanical engineering degree at UCR.”

The conference launched with an opening keynote speech by alum Yvette Casillas (BS, Mechanical Engineering, 19), a transportation engineer for Caltrans. Currently a licensed professional engineer in civil engineering, she shared her journey rooted in perseverance, grit, and finding your community. Casillas’s story highlighted the power of determination by overcoming obstacles and minor detours.

Six breakout sessions were held throughout the conference, covering topics crucial to success in engineering. Sessions were led by Sirina Nabhan (BS, Electrical Engineering, ’17), a NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory project data systems engineer; Joseph Ayala (BS, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, ’21), a spacecraft assembly test and launch operations engineering for a Boeing company Millennium Space Systems; Samuel Tapia (BS + MS, Computer Science, ’20), a Twilio senior software engineer; Mathew Ramirez, a flight test engineer for aviation and aerospace component manufacturer Supernal; Annika Speer, a UCR Department of Theatre, Film, and Digital Production associate professor; and Mai Temraz BCOE’s student success coordinator.

Session themes included:

1. The Power of Humility: Learning to Listen and Collaborate
This session, led by Nabhan and Temraz, emphasized the importance of humility in professional life. Students learned how to foster strong relationships, improve communication, and collaborate effectively, all essential for success in the engineering industry.
 

2. Exploring the Spectrum: Diverse Career Options in Engineering
This session, led by Ramirez and Ayala, explored the vast array of career paths available to engineers beyond traditional roles. Students were exposed to diverse career options and encouraged to think creatively about the possibilities their engineering degrees.
 

3. Elevating Communication: Professional Standards for Engineering Students
This session, led by Speer and Tapia, highlighted the importance of clear, concise, and professional communication, both in written and verbal forms. Students were provided with practical tools to enhance their ability to communicate in a professional environment.
     

During lunch, students engaged with a diverse panel of alumni who shared their unique career journeys. The panelists — Norma Menjivar (BS, Environmental Engineering, ’19), a water resources control engineer for the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board; Andrew Sanchez (BS, Chemical Engineering, ‘18; PhD, Chemical Engineering, ’24), a former UCR graduate student researcher and current engineering tutor; and Nathaniel Ortiz (BS, Electrical Engineering, ’21), a radio frequency (RF) communications manager for aviation and aerospace component manufacturer Blue Origin — provided insights into various options. These options included transitioning directly into the workforce after graduation, pursuing doctoral degrees, and becoming entrepreneurs. Each panelist spoke candidly about their experiences, challenges, and the factors influencing their decisions, offering students valuable perspectives on the many paths available after graduation.

Students were also invited to attend a career exhibition to connect with industry professionals and graduate program recruiters. The exhibition allowed students to explore potential internships, job opportunities, and advanced academic programs. Additionally, a limited number of mock interviews were conducted by alumni, giving students the chance to practice their interview skills in a real-world setting. The mock interviewers provide constructive feedback to students to allow them to refine their approaches and responses in interviews.

The conference concluded with a three-course dinner, accompanied by Verdin’s keynote speech. His story focused on overcoming self-doubt and silencing the “inner critic,” encouraging students to build resilience and believe in their ability to achieve their goals.

The evening ended with closing remarks, including scholarship announcements, group photos, and additional networking opportunities. This final portion of IGNITE allowed students to reflect on the day’s experiences and forge lasting connections with alumni, faculty, and peers. This year’s IGNITE conference cultivated the power of community-building by engaging students throughout the conference and aligning intentional networking opportunities with alumni. For many students, it was a much-needed opportunity to refuel their passion for engineering, explore various career options, and prepare for the challenges and opportunities ahead of their professional journeys.

“This is a great way for students to get an inside view of how industry works as well as get valuable insight from engineering leaders,” Verdin said of the conference. “A big shout-out to the event organizers who worked tirelessly to put this event together.”

Header Image: The IGNITE conference provided valuable professional development opportunities to engineering students with a mix of keynote speakers, breakout sessions, an alumni panel, a career exhibition, and mock interviews.