Recent graduate leveraged his strengths, begins Ph.D. program

Carlos Fragoso Uriarte ’25 wanted a degree that would allow him to make a difference in the world, while at the same time taking advantage of what he considered to be his academic strengths.

“I think something that also impacted my decision was the influence of my parents, who are both chemical engineers who earned their degrees in Mexico, where I born,” said Fragoso Uriarte. Since he was young, they taught him about engineering. “They helped me recognize my potential in this field.”

As an immigrant, he was fascinated with learning another language, especially the chance to apply it and experience the culture. Ultimately, the deciding factor of his applying to the University of Rhode Island was the College of Engineering’s International Engineering Program.

Not every university offers their students the opportunity to spend a year in another country as part of their degree, particularly degrees as rigorous as engineering. “I had heard from other international students that campus life at URI, and the campus in general, were something they enjoyed a lot more compared with other universities they had visited,” said Fragoso Uriarte.

Fragoso Uriarte also received the Thomas M. Ryan Scholarship, which provides full tuition toward his degree. “I was honored to be recognized as a Thomas M. Ryan Scholar upon applying to URI,” he said. “I think that one of my favorite memories was hanging out with the other Ryan Scholars during our freshman year. All of us were new to the environment and we were all figuring things out.

Carlos overlooking the city center of Florence while on his year abroad in Italy. Piazzale Michelangelo, where the image is taken, provides a view of the city skyline .

“A lot of them had come from far away to be here, but I felt like I’d really arrived in college in that moment, and that I’d found people that understood me in a way that other people hadn’t in the past,” he added.

Despite living in the engineering living and learning community when he started, his first two semesters were heavily affected by the pandemic. Eventually he joined the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, as well as spending a couple of years as a STEM tutor at the Academic Enhancement Center.

One of the Ryan Scholar dinners during Carlos’ freshman year. Occasionally, typically around a major holiday, his friend Sarah’s parents (Sarah is pictured in the bottom left of the picture) would send her crafts to do with all of us. After having dinner together, we’d all hang out for a couple of hours talking and doing the crafts that Sarah brought. A lot of his favorite memories came from these nights!

As part of the IEP, he was able to intern at an Italian company, Graded S.p.A., in Naples, Italy. He also spent most of the summers and every semester after sophomore year working as a part of Dr. Arijit Bose’s research lab. “These experiences are the ones that I consider the most formative in preparing me for the Ph.D. program that awaits me next semester,” said Fragoso Uriarte.

In addition, he has been accepted into the Phi Beta Kappa honors society. He also received multiple scholarships during his time at URI that helped in financing his year abroad in Italy.

Group photo from Carlos’ first Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) regional conference. The group attended the conference in Albany, NY as a networking and job/internship seeking opportunity.

“Carlos is very personable and kind. He is very modest about his strong achievements,” said chemical engineering associate professor Mike Greenfield.

Fragoso Uriarte graduated with dual bachelor’s degrees in chemical engineering and Italian and will pursue a Ph.D. in chemical engineering at Colorado School of Mines this fall.