RUM students Nicole Feliciano Díaz, from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, and Javier D. Santiago Ramos, from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, became the first students at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez (RUM) to receive scholarships of $30,000 each, awarded by the Azmat A. Assur Foundation. The purpose of these scholarships is to empower the next generation of leaders in engineering and other STEM disciplines.
The first award ceremony, held on September 13 at the Luis De Celis Building, followed the establishment of an agreement between the Foundation and the Mayagüez campus of the University of Puerto Rico (UPR), through the Office of Alumni and Philanthropy. This agreement aims to provide funding over the next five years to talented engineering students with financial need through the Azmat Assur Foundation Engineering Scholarship.
“The Azmat A. Assur Foundation represents the company Peerless Oil & Chemicals, which approached us through RUM alumnus Engineer Luis Vázquez. A call for applications was issued to the university community, and an evaluation committee was then created, led by the Student Ombudsperson, Larizza Hernández. The selected students, Nicole and Javier, stood out for their essays, skills, résumés, and performance in final interviews. We are extremely excited to be able to support these students thanks to the donations we continue to receive through our Office of Alumni and Philanthropy,” reiterated Carmen Patricia Parés, director of the office.
The scholarship recipients stood out among a group of 210 applicants, distinguishing themselves through their impressive academic records and their social commitment to the country.
“Our Azmat A. Assur Foundation is extremely proud of the two new individual scholarship recipients from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez. This was a difficult decision for us, as all applicants demonstrated the core values of the person whose name our Foundation bears—my late husband, Azmat Assur: that education is the key to the advancement of the world and essential to supporting the island of Puerto Rico. Ultimately, both Nicole and Javier demonstrated exceptional dedication to their studies and a strong passion for the STEM field that set their applications apart. We can now say that the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez is one of the best institutions we have partnered with to date, and we look forward to a long-term relationship that supports students in achieving their academic goals,” stated Anne Marie Assur, founder and chair of the Foundation’s Board of Directors, in a written message.
Similar sentiments were shared by the Interim Dean of Engineering, Dr. Cristina Pomales García, who highlighted the recipients’ qualities not only academically, but also in extracurricular activities.
“For us, it is a source of pride to celebrate, in this first award ceremony, two exceptional young students from our College of Engineering. Both are in their fifth year and are first-generation college students in their families. We know they will benefit greatly and that this support will encourage the work they have done. They are talented, with excellent GPAs and outstanding résumés. They are not only students in our programs, but have also demonstrated collaboration and leadership through participation in student associations and projects. Most importantly, they have a genuine commitment to Puerto Rico and a desire to contribute to the country’s development with their knowledge, skills, and talents in local industries,” she stated.
As part of the ceremony, the awardees expressed their gratitude to the Assur Foundation for the support, which will allow them to focus on completing their degrees and preparing for their professional futures.
“At first, I was a bit hesitant because the scholarships felt out of reach, but I decided to try and submitted the application and essay. When I received the call saying I had been selected, I was in shock. I am extremely grateful for this opportunity,” said Nicole, a fifth-year Mechanical Engineering student.
The young woman from Adjuntas explained that one of the aspects she wanted to highlight in her essay was that she is the first woman in her family to study at RUM and that she is focused on becoming a mechanical engineer, a field traditionally dominated by men.
“We women can also work in this field. It’s challenging, but it can be done. I also wanted to highlight my mother, who continued studying and working through her pregnancies with my sister and me. She is an inspiration in my life. Standards or the different situations we face in daily life do not prevent us from achieving our professional goals. I want to grow, learn a lot, move forward, and represent the Puerto Rico I love so much,” she expressed.
Nicole, who is interested in the aerospace field, has completed CO-OP internships at Pratt & Whitney and participated in special projects such as Engineering Tools for Engineering Technicians, as well as the RUM solar car team. In the future, she envisions herself working in industry to grow professionally while contributing to the country.
For his part, Javier shared that he learned about the scholarship through an email and, like Nicole, thought he would not receive it. However, his family encouraged him to apply—and “luckily, it worked out,” he recalled.
“In my essay, I talked about my experience at RUM and how much I enjoy studying, but also the difficulties I faced. I did not receive financial aid, worked many hours, and studied at the same time. I highlighted how important education is to me, but also how challenging it was. I think emphasizing my love for my university career and my desire to move forward helped me win the scholarship,” said the Electrical Engineering student, whose area of interest is power systems and distribution.
The Mayagüez resident now hopes to focus on completing his bachelor’s degree without the financial stress of living independently.
“This grant will lift a huge weight off my shoulders. Instead of working 35 or 36 hours a week, I will now work only 12 hours and be able to focus on my studies, return to university projects, and learn and contribute more within the University. I am very grateful to the Azmat Assur Foundation. If it weren’t for them, I don’t know if I would have been able to continue and finish my bachelor’s degree, which has been the most important thing in my life for the past five years,” he admitted.
Javier has also completed internships at several companies, including LUMA Energy in Puerto Rico, L3 Harris in New York, and Berkshire Hathaway Northern Group in Nebraska. He also participated in student projects such as Project AV and the solar car team.
“In the future, I would like to work here in Puerto Rico, if possible with LUMA or Genera. I hope to support the local energy system, whether by improving and modernizing what we have now or by contributing to renewable energy so the country can move forward,” he said.
The Assur Foundation, created in memory of the founder and president of the aforementioned fuel company in Puerto Rico, provides these financial awards as a way of giving back to the country where he prospered as an entrepreneur.
“It makes me very happy that the Azmat A. Assur Foundation has decided to collaborate and contribute so that our students can manage the financial burden of studying at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez. This is a very substantial scholarship, and I am deeply impressed and sincerely grateful for this contribution. The economic situation in Puerto Rico and within the University affects our ability to ensure that students can come here, remain enrolled, and not be distracted by financial challenges. With this support, I am confident they will do much better. Thank you very much—I am happy and grateful,” said Dr. Agustín Rullán Toro, Chancellor of RUM.
The Azmat Assur Foundation Engineering Scholarship will continue to be awarded annually at RUM over a five-year period to undergraduate engineering students carrying a regular course load of 12 credits or more, with a GPA above 2.5, who demonstrate financial need verified by the Registrar’s Office and the Department of Financial Aid. Applicants must also submit an essay of 500 words or fewer describing their academic goals and interests.
According to its profile, Azmat A. Assur was born in Mumbai, India; earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and completed an MBA at Harvard University. He was the founder and president of Energy Supply & Credit Corporation and Peerless Oil & Chemicals, a fuel supplier in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. He was a strong advocate for education and for providing development opportunities to youth and future professionals. He passed away in 2020.
“We invite other alumni to reach out to the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez to help make life-changing transformations like the one we are witnessing today possible. We encourage you to visit the Office of Alumni and Philanthropy’s webpage,” concluded Parés.