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The Carnegie Corporation of New York announced last month that it has named University of Texas Rio Grande Valley mechanical engineering professor Karen Lozano a recipient of its “Great Immigrant, Great American” recognition.
Every Fourth of July, Carnegie celebrates society-enriching contributions made by immigrants to America.
Lozano is among 35 naturalized citizens on this year’s list, which includes business people, writers, educators and entertainers — including Alanis Morissette and Pedro Pascal.
A Monterrey, Mexico native who came to the United States in 1994 and became a citizen in 2009, Lozano has made a name for herself locally and nationally for her work with nanofiber research and her mentorship to students from underserved populations.
She holds over 45 patents and patent applications, according to a release, including a particularly notable spinning technology that allows nanofibers to be manufactured faster by a rate of 900.
That work has earned Lozano in the past a Lone Star Emmy, induction as a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors and an official White House award.
Lozano, the only woman mechanical engineering graduate in Monterrey when she finished school, has spoken previously of the challenges she faced carving out a career in a traditionally male-dominated field.
“It is truly an honor, beyond the recognition itself,” she wrote in a release about the Carnegie recognition. “This distinction serves as a powerful opportunity for me to convey an important message to our UTRGV students — that their hard work truly matters, their contributions will be seen, and that it is worth embracing challenges as they strive for excellence.”
Lozano wrote that she hoped the recognition would serve as an inspiration for students at UTRGV and Valley residents.
“Beginnings do not matter,” she wrote. “Only the heart that you put into your effort matters. The heart has the power to make a difference.”
As part of the recognition, Lozano got her picture printed in a July 4 advertisement in the New York Times, along with other honorees.
