Esteban Alexis Soto Vera received his industrial engineer degree (2014) and master’s degree (2015) in industrial management from the University of Concepcion (UDEC), Chile. He is a current PhD candidate in technology at Purdue, where he is project coordinator for the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Program, the goal of which is to provide underrepresented students with research experience. His main roles are to mentor students, co-teach modules, and track students’ tasks. His doctoral research is framed in solar energy systems with the objective of analyzing Peer-to-Peer (P2P) models and evaluating the potential benefits. Before coming to Purdue, he was co-founder and CEO of Potencial, a startup dedicated to the design and development of “MPZero,” an electrostatic device used to reduce emissions of particulate material. At UDEC, he was one of the founders of the AutoSolar project, whose car won the Atacama Solar Race, and a member of the CasaSolar team who built a solar-powered house. Esteban, a Fulbright Scholar, is president of the Purdue Fulbright Association and president of the Purdue Chilean Association. He is currently completing the Foundations in College Teaching Certificate and has participated in the Purdue-NSF I-Corps program. As a future faculty member, he vows to expand minority participation in engineering and technology and incorporate an entrepreneurial mindset in his courses.

Research Interests

Renewable Energy Systems - Solar Energy