PITT ENGINEERING STUDENT WINS FULBRIGHT SCHOLARSHIP

PITTSBURGH, Oct. 30 -- Claudio Ruibal, a doctoral student in the University of Pittsburgh's School of Engineering, has been awarded a Fulbright Scholarship from the Fulbright Graduate Student Program for the 2001-2002 academic year.

Ruibal is taking part in the flexible doctoral program in Pitt's Department of Industrial Engineering, where he is developing costing models for new technologies' supply chain management and information systems.

"Claudio Ruibal's hard work and dedication to his education is reflected by this award. His achievements reflect the limitless possibilities he will have in the field of engineering," said Gerald Holder, USX Dean of the School of Engineering. "The School of Engineering is proud of Claudio's achievement and looks forward to the promise he will bring to the future of the University of Pittsburgh."

Ruibal is from the Universidad de Montevideo in Uruguay, where he is a faculty member and general administrator. He has an undergraduate degree in civil engineering as well as a master's degree in business with an emphasis on costing.

The engineering school's flexible doctoral program is for highly qualified individuals who already have earned a master's degree and are employed in positions that do not allow them easily to take off the full four or five years required for a Ph.D. Candidates spend only one to two years in residence at Pitt, during which time they are expected to complete their coursework, pass the qualifying exam, and develop a proposal for their doctoral research. Students then return to their jobs and conduct the bulk of their research part-time, while being away from Pitt, taking as much time as they need. Students might occasionally return to Pitt to update their advisors on the status of their research, and after their research is complete, they return to Pitt to defend their dissertation.

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