Five University graduates recognized with National End-of-Career Awards

Five graduates of the University of Navarra, who completed their studies in the 2018-19 academic year, have been recognized with the National University Education End of Degree Awards granted by the Ministry of Science Innovation and Universities. From the School of Sciences, Mariana Serres Gómez, a graduate in Biochemistryhas obtained the first award, while Carlos Luri Rey, graduate in Biology and master in Biomedical Research, has been distinguished with a second award. In Tecnun of Engineering, Asier Andonegui Isasa, graduate in Industrial Technologies Engineering, received a second award; Pablo Sacristán González, graduate in Biomedical Engineering, received a third award; and Juan José Torres Cordero, graduate in Industrial Organization, also received a third award.

Mariana Serres Gómez, born in Madrid, currently works as a Clinical Analysis Specialist at the Hospital Universitario La Paz, in the Specific Laboratories Section, focused on endocrinology and renal lithiasis. During her residency at the same hospital, she spent three months in the Metabolopathies Laboratory (Biochemical Genetics Laboratory) of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota (USA), an experience that allowed her to deepen and specialize in this area of the clinical laboratory. 

Carlos Luri Rey is a native of San Adrián (Navarra). After finishing his studies at the University of Navarra, he continued his training at the biotechnology company Moderna Therapeutics (Boston, USA) and completed a research stay at the Queensland Medical research center (QIMR Berghofer). He is currently working on his doctoral dissertation in Cancer Immunotherapy at the Cima University of Navarra, where he has also made several scientific illustrations that have been published in high impact journals such as Cancer Discovery, Nature Reviews Cancer, Cell Reports Medicine or Nature Medicine, among others.

The three graduates of the School of Engineering have followed different professional paths, according to their specialization program. Asier Andonegui, a native of Vitoria-Gasteiz, works at Management Solutions, which provides consultancy service to companies. Previously, he was a researcher partner at the MIT average Lab.

Also from San Sebastian, Pablo Sacristan Gonzalez is a software developer at Deneb Medical, a company dedicated to the application of technology to improve precision in spine surgery. Previously, he completed a master's degree in Medical Device design and Entrepreneurship at Imperial College of London.

Juan José Torres Cordero, from Ecuador, is General Manager of technical operations at Apple, specifically in the Apple Watch product department , where he is responsible for the development, qualification and scalability of the product assembly process for mass production. At the moment he is the youngest manager the company has ever had in its department. During his more than six years with the company, he spent time in Singapore before returning to California, where he currently resides.

The Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities' National End-of-Course Awards for University Education establish five categories according to the area of training: Arts and Humanities, Sciences, Health Sciences, Social and Legal Sciences, and Engineering and Architecture. In the present call, corresponding to the year 2024, a total of 57 first prizes have been awarded with an economic endowment of 3,300 euros; 57 second prizes of 2,650 euros each; and 56 third prizes, with an endowment of 2,200 euros. According to the call for entries, 36 prizes have been awarded in the field of Arts and Humanities, 21 in Sciences, 21 in Health Sciences, 45 in Social and Legal Sciences, and 48 prizes in Engineering and Architecture. The graduates come from 59 public and private universities throughout Spain.