Catchin' Up With a Cookie: Josue Luna
Josue Luna
2018 Undergraduate Transfer Scholar; 2024 Graduate Scholar, University of Southern California
Josue is an engineer with experiences in optics research, materials science research, and industrial product development. Josue's recent professional experience was working and studying abroad in Germany through a fully-funded fellowship. His research experience while in Germany, was in the field of 3D Nanometrology, an area that focuses on precise measurements at the nanoscale level. This coming summer, Josue will continue to work in the field of laser technology while interning at the MIT Lincoln Laboratory. After completing his internship, Josue will begin his Master’s in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Southern California.
With my younger brother after completing the 2024 Carlsbad Marathon
As a strong believer of paying it forward, Josue has done many mentorship roles throughout many educational programs in community college and undergraduate studies. He continues this role with leadership and mentorship roles within the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, and hopes to continue this passion throughout his professional career. During his free time, Josue enjoys photography, reading comics, online gaming, and marathon training. His next race will be the Long Beach Marathon this coming Fall season.
What does being a Cooke Scholar mean to you?
From the very first day as a Cooke Scholar to now, the Foundation has always been an important part of my life. Everything from the financial support, counseling, support with important career decisions, to the camaraderie and community with fellow scholars and alumni, the Foundation is always there for me. I reflect back on the amazing people I met and befriended over the years as a scholar and alumni. This community is truly like no other, there is always a sense of comfort and dependency you can have with the members of this community.
Such experiences are what inspired me to do volunteering work to help strengthen the networking for current Cooke Scholars. No matter where or when you are in life, being part of the Foundation feels like reconnecting with that one close friend and picking up a conversation where you last left off. The Cooke Scholar community is truly like no other, there is always a sense of comfort and dependency you can have with the members of this community. I’m looking forward to continuing with the Cooke Community as a Graduate Scholar and as a mentor for new incoming Scholars.
My poster presentation about Cholla Cacti structures at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Tell us about a memorable moment in undergrad or graduate school.
I would say a memorable moment was the completion of a collaborative research project on Cholla Cacti structures. As an undergraduate research assistant, I worked in Dr. Joanna McKittrick’s laboratory where the research focused on finding and analyzing suitable biological materials as templates for bioinspired materials. The emphasis was on finding high performing materials that are able to maximize their mechanical properties utilizing minimal amounts of material in both weight and volume. If we consider engineering applications where high torsional resistant structures are needed, such as bridges, aircraft wings, and prosthetics, the cholla’s tubical and porous structure can lead toward new structural designs. Such new bio-inspired designs that may contain highly mechanical efficient properties but with the benefit of conserving material.
While the project was a success, it truly was a rigorous journey since I had to understand and apply difficult concepts in engineering. However, I had an incredible support system from my mentor, who was a doctoral candidate at the time, and from other members of the lab group. The project’s success resulted in a collaborative manuscript publication. It felt surreal to see my name and contributions in that publication.
What is ONE THING YOU DID TO HELP TRANSITION TO YOUR FIRST YEAR OUT OF COLLEGE?
The roof terrace of the Reichstag in Berlin
After graduating from UC San Diego and working for a company temporarily, I moved abroad to Germany for a year under a government funded fellowship program. It was a different path in the sense of exploring a country to which I have never been affiliated with before. Plus, I’m the only one in my family’s known history to ever travel outside of the Americas. It was a big step for myself and for my family. While in Germany I learned a lot about politics, academics, new concepts in engineering, and interactions with the local German people. After graduation, I was very exhausted from years of continuous school and felt a desire to do something new so that I can be ready to pursue graduate studies. Immersing myself in the German lifestyle and redefining my engineering skills was the right choice.
What was the last show you watched that you really enjoyed and highly recommended?
I have recently been watching ER, a medical drama series that premiered back in the late 90s. It’s a fantastic show that highlights the stories of medical staff and patients that take place primarily in an emergency room of a Chicago Hospital. I really got drawn into the medical procedures and knowledge, especially the intense moments when there are patient’s lives at stake. This show really knows how to tug at your heartstrings. There were moments in the show where I had to take a step back and reflect on some moments of my own life. That’s how powerful the storytelling is in ER.
If you were to create your own cookie, what would it consist of and what name would you give it?
I’m a huge fan of chocolate. One of my favorite types of chocolate originates from Oaxaca, Mexico. It has cacao, cinnamon, and nut embedded flavors that give it a delicious flavor. It is mainly used for hot chocolate. My dad is from the state of Oaxaca, so I would say this chocolate profile gives me a sense of nostalgia of when I would visit my dad’s hometown. I would make the cookies with a soft texture and chewy texture, and call them something like “Galletas Oaxaqueña”, which translates to Oaxacan cookies.