Zapopan, Jalisco; December 18, 2025. –The Faculty of Engineering at the Universidad Panamericana GuadalajaraUniversidad Panamericana experienced an unprecedented semester, consolidating its academic leadership at the international level.
Civil, mechatronics, industrial, and computer systems engineering students took first place in three global competitions: the World Concrete Convention (ACI), the International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC), and the national electric car series.
World champions in concrete (ACI)
From October 26 to 29, 2025, the ACI UP Guadalajara student chapter, made up of civil engineering and architecture students, represented Mexico at the World Concrete Convention organized by the American Concrete Institute in Baltimore, United States.
Competing with more than 40 universities from around the world, including countries such as Mexico, the United States, Puerto Rico, Peru, Poland, and Ecuador, the team won first place in the Aesthetics category of the Egg Protection Device (EPD) challenge with an ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) device capable of protecting an egg from a vertical impact while maintaining its integrity, inspired by Baltimore's historical and industrial architecture.
"First place in the aesthetics category was made possible thanks to the talent and vision of the architects, whose ability to improve structures added fundamental value to the project," said Francis Gutiérrez, advisor to the ACI UP Guadalajara Student Chapter.
Success in programming: historical ranking in ICPC
At the International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC), held at ITESO, Germán's Testigos team, made up of Álvaro Gallo Cruz, Miguel Rincón Burboa, and Santiago de la Torre Zamudio, won the gold medal and fourth place nationally, qualifying for the Latin American Super Regional phase.
"At the start of the competition, we received three packages containing several sheets with 12 problems to solve. Each one is described in a few words or short sentences, but behind them lies a whole story that you have to imagine, analyze, and then translate into code. Then they provide us with test cases containing the data that the program must process and the expected results," explained Álvaro Gallo Cruz.
r. Miguel Alcaraz, co-coach of the team, emphasized that the result "reflects years of collaborative work within the Programming Club and the algorithm community at the University of Guadalajara."
"It's a very interesting competition because it's not just about programming, but also about teamwork. At the Universidad Panamericana in Guadalajara, we have participated continuously for the last eight or nine years,"explained Dr. Miguel Alcaraz.
Lightning UP: outstanding debut in electric cars
The Lightning UP team, led by Carolina Contreras and Óscar Barba Acevedo, had an outstanding debut in the national electric car series, winning the Tonatiuh Award in Monterrey for their spirit of competition and camaraderie.
This award recognizes the team with the greatest spirit of competition and camaraderie, which means a lot to the team, as it was voted for by the other teams.
In their first race, held in Guadalajara, they completed a 29 km course in 40 minutes, placing fifth out of ten teams. On the second date, in Monterrey, they repeated their fifth place finish among 12 teams, consolidating their position as one of the national promises in sustainable mobility.
"It was very meaningful that the other teams recognized us as a group with great camaraderie and competitive spirit. I think this recognition reflects the hard work and dedication we have shown over these two years of effort and learning," said Emilio Martínez, a member of the Lightning UP team along with Jaime Valenzuela and Mario Aceves.
UP Engineering: innovation, talent, and global vision
These achievements reflect the commitment of the Faculty of Engineering at the Universidad Panamericana to world-class practical training, where theory is transformed into real solutions.
From sustainable concrete to high-level algorithms and competitive electric cars, students at the Universidad Panamericana that Mexican engineering has a future, talent, and a global vision.
Learn more about the Faculty of Engineering at the Universidad Panamericana : https://www.up.edu.mx/educacion-universidad-facultad-de-ingenieria/
