Rocío Lizárraga, a graduate of Business Engineering from the Universidad del Pacífico, was part of one of the global winning teams at the NASA Space Apps Challenge, the world's largest open innovation hackathon. Although the results were announced months ago, the recognition was only made official during a recent ceremony at the Goddard Space Flight Center, where the team presented its prototype to experts from the space agency and took part in various scientific activities.
Visibility, partnerships, and new opportunities
Since the award was announced, the team has received support from a range of institutions. Besides the support of their local leads, Marco Carrasco and Raquel Sánchez, Cibertec, the alma mater of several group members; the Peruvian–North American Cultural Institute; the Geophysical Institute of Peru's Mutsumi Ishitsuka Planetarium; and the Embassy of the United States in Peru, which facilitated the process of travel and cultural preparation, all assisted. "The embassy was key to ensuring the paperwork was done quickly so that we could join the community of Peruvians with achievements in the United States," says Rocio.
Coverage of the award was amplified by media outlets such as América TV, La República, RPP Noticias, Andina, TV Perú, and Exitosa TV, all of which played their part in disseminating the story. The team's feat has also fostered new links with institutions involved in scientific promotion. "I have had more contact with observatories and planetariums in different cities, and one of the spaces that welcomed me most enthusiastically was Discovery, led by the Santivañez brothers, who won the Astronomy Picture of the Day 2024. I am interested in forging links with different initiatives that promote astronomy in the country," notes Rocio.
An unforgettable journey guided by science
During the months following the announcement, the team maintained continuous contact with the global organizing committee as well as different areas of NASA, which prepared the official reception for the winning teams from various editions. “We visited the Community Coordinated Modeling Center, attended lectures about the heliosphere, toured the Spacecraft and Integration Complex, and stood in front of the Roman Space Telescope. Each step was a window into frontier science," Rocio recalls.
The long run-up to the award ceremony also allowed the team to grasp the magnitude of their achievement and share their success with those who supported them throughout. "It was time to recognize that we had achieved one of the greatest successes of our lives and that we did so by raising aloft our names, our surnames, for Peru and South America," adds the UP graduate.
New perspectives for a purposeful career
The experience has transformed the way in which Rocío conceives her profession. As a business engineer, she highlights the value of interdisciplinary training to develop joint solutions through a diversity of teams. "This achievement confirms the versatility of business engineering in collaborating with professionals from different disciplines. At the UP they instilled in me a philosophy of zero tolerance for error, which I later saw reflected—with even more demanding standards—at NASA, where we experienced extraordinary levels of quality, effectiveness, and efficiency."
As to the future of the project, Rocío points out that the next step will require new funding opportunities and support for scientific and technological development. In this context, she stresses the importance of promoting public policies and alliances that encourage investment in science and technology in Peru. "Taking this project to the next stage requires greater financial and STEM support. I am sure that if we continue to strengthen the ecosystem, more Peruvian teams will be able to transform ideas into real solutions. Achieving 1% of GDP in scientific investment should not be a distant goal but a national commitment," Rocio insists.
A drive to share, inspire, and transform
Beyond the recognition itself, Rocío singles out the impact this experience has had on her commitment to the community. At present, she works as a full analyst of go-to-market projects at Alicorp Soluciones (B2B) and as an assistant professor in the UP Faculty of Engineering, as well as volunteering for several social organizations.
“I have opportunities that go beyond personal gain: I can share what I know, talk about astronomy in Christian [terms], and help others believe in the art of the possible as well. If anything defines business engineering, it is acting as a bridge between worlds, and today I am experiencing that more than ever," concludes the award winner.
We at the Universidad del Pacífico and the Faculty of Engineering congratulate our graduates on this important international recognition and reassert our commitment to interdisciplinary, humanistic, and innovative training. Stories like this showcase the potential of UP students and graduates to create high-impact solutions in Peru for the world.