Rudy Cepeda Gómez, a graduate of Electronic Engineering from the Universidad Industrial de Santander (UIS), has built an outstanding academic and professional career that took him from Bucaramanga to Germany, where he currently leads a research group focused on control systems and electrified aircraft propulsion.
Choosing UIS to pursue his engineering degree was a decision that shaped the course of his professional life. From an early age, he knew what he wanted to study, motivated by the university’s reputation, academic excellence, and prestige.
“I started studying Electronic Engineering at UIS in the first semester, on March 12, 2001. From an early age, I was quite certain that I wanted to study here at UIS for various reasons: its reputation, recognition, and academic quality,” the graduate recalled.
For Gómez, the years of training at his alma mater were fundamental to achieving the goals he had set for himself. “It was one of the best decisions of my life. The education I received here really helped me achieve many of the goals I had set for myself,” he said.
A Career That Crossed Borders
After completing his undergraduate studies, he continued his education with a master’s degree in Electronic Engineering, specializing in Control Systems at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá. Later, through connections with his professors, he had the opportunity to pursue a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, with a focus on Control Systems, at the Connecticut in the United States.
His doctoral training opened new doors internationally. A postdoctoral position in Germany was the next step in a career that would eventually lead him to the aerospace industry.
There, he joined Rolls-Royce, where he spent nine years working in the aircraft propulsion business and participating in the development of control systems for turbofan engines.
He currently serves as the leader of a research group within the Aeronautical Requirements and Propulsion System Control Department at the Institute of Electrified Aircraft Propulsion of the German Aerospace Center. In this role, he contributes to the development of knowledge and technology for the aerospace sector.
A UIS Role Model for Those Just Starting Out
His professional experience has also allowed him to recognize the value of initiatives that connect university education with professional practice.
In this regard, he highlights the importance of the Technical Week organized by the E3T School, which provides students with opportunities to explore different career paths and broaden their perspective on what they can achieve as engineers.
“I believe this Technical Week is one of the best opportunities students can have to broaden their horizons, beyond the technical or strictly conceptual training they receive in the classroom,” he said.
The Pride of Being a UIS Graduate
Today, from Europe, beyond the degrees he has earned and the international settings in which he has developed his career, Rudy maintains a strong connection with the institution where his journey as an engineer began.
For him, the quality of the education he received is also reflected in the careers of generations of professionals who have taken the UIS name to different parts of the world.
“Being a UIS graduate is a source of pride, and it is something I always say with great pride. There are generations and generations of highly skilled engineers—successful engineers who today run their own companies or work for internationally recognized companies in Australia, Brazil, and the United States,” Rudy Cepeda Gómez concluded.
