Senior Success: Civil Engineer Lara Rios is Proud of All the Memories She Made at NJIT

For Lara Rios '23, NJIT has been an important part of her family's life. Her uncle and father graduated from NJIT, and her brother is also studying at the university. As president of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) and diversity and inclusion officer of the Student Senate, Rios has always made it her number one priority to help her fellow peers feel at home at NJIT.

"The student organizations that I've been a part of, it hasn't just been surface level. I really considered those in Senate to be like a family to me, and those with SHPE," said Rios. "When we talk about familia and how we advertise that, we want to find more people and bring them in and give them this community because having those connections … helps other people get grounded to NJIT and enjoy their experience here," said Rios.

"That's really what I want for other people because I came in and I got involved. I immediately felt like I belonged at NJIT," she added.

Her father, a structural engineer, inspired her to pursue engineering. "My father always looks for opportunities to give back to high schools, so anytime my aunt, who's a teacher, has career days, my dad's always there.

"He says, 'I'm a structural engineer, these are the things that I do. Here's a little activity to get you introduced to those things.' And that's how I got introduced to them."

At NJIT, Rios studied civil engineering. She thought it was the same as structural engineering but realized it wasn't the case. She discovered that civil engineering is so much broader; thanks to her studies, she has learned about water resources, soil mechanics, site designs, and transportation engineering.

Rios is applying for Ph.D. programs to begin in spring 2024, and in the meantime, she'll be working for Gilsanz Murray Steficek to gain more expertise in areas like structural design, façade consulting, special inspections, construction administration, forensic analysis, component and systems engineering, and engineering for construction logistics. She envisions a professional life in which she will continue to find ways to work with students. "Being able to work on research, but also at the end of the Ph.D., being able to work at an engineering firm, and also as a part-time professor," she said.

"So as a faculty member, being able to take that knowledge that I've learned from industry and give it back to the students and start building a culture, making sure that students have the resources to succeed is something that I hope to continue."

Rios, of Puerto Rican and Chilean descent, has been immensely inspired by her grandmothers and mother who have instilled a no-limits mentality. In last year's NJIT Celebration gala, Rios was the student speaker, and in her speech she thanked the strong, independent women in her life that gave her the confidence to be who she has become and put herself out there.

In 2021, she attended a conference with the Student Senate, it was there where she listened to a panel in which they talked about diversity and inclusion. Listening to fellow peers talk about the concept made Rios want to propose the idea to NJIT. She talked with her e-board and everyone came to the conclusion that it was a great idea.

Rios then ran for the position because she wanted to see through an idea she worked to get going.

She saw this opportunity as a way to build from what she had worked with Student Organizations across campus.

"With this position, it's still about that environment, but in a different sense. We need someone on the Student Senate to represent the voices that aren't heard as they should be," she noted. "To make them feel like they have more of a place at NJIT, in terms of when we're talking about resources."

NJIT's chief diversity officer, David E. Jones, will work closely with the Student Senate's diversity and inclusion officer.

The people I've met during my time at NJIT have definitely played a piece in shaping who I am now.

During her time at NJIT, Rios has worked hard to make important contributions to campus life. In the Senate as director of Student Organizations she encouraged student-led activities and revived clubs. And as SHPE president, she highlighted how they took 50 students to conferences, started a tutoring program, enhanced their professional workshop series and increased their outreach via social media.

As Rios becomes the first woman in her family to earn a degree in engineering, she has left her mark during her time at NJIT. "I expect that on that [graduation] day I'll be filled with emotion. I'm not too great with goodbyes and yes, I'll probably see a good portion of my friends again but it definitely won't be the same or nearly as easy," she said.

"I won't be able to walk over to the next room or dorm and see if they want to go grab food with me or if they're free to hang out. I'll miss catching up with them on our daily activities as if we hadn't just seen each other a couple of hours before. Sadly, text messages and phone calls won't do the trick.

"But, I'm extremely proud of all of us and how far we've come. The things we've gone through have shaped the people we are, and the people I've met during my time at NJIT have definitely played a piece in shaping who I am now."

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