Welding is a high-tech field that, in one way or another, impacts nearly every industry world-wide and Lone Star College-Cypress Center is the place to gain the knowledge, skill and techniques that will stand the test of time in this in-demand industry.
But did you know, as LSC-CyFair alumnus Alejandro Alvarez found out, welding is not limited to a technical field of work? Career opportunities are also available in Welding Engineering. This part of the field focuses on the physics and metallurgical aspects of welding that aid in obtaining managerial roles in research and development.
LSC-CyFair’s Welding Technology program, offering a variety of certificates and an Associate of Applied Science degree, prepares students for both career paths.
Following in the footsteps of his father, uncle and brother, Alvarez was working as a welder when he enrolled at LSC-Cypress Center with a goal of becoming a certified Welding Inspector by the American Welding Society.
“In the Welding Technology program, we were able to divide our time between the classroom and the welding laboratory. We learned the theory behind welding and then applied what we learned in the lab,” said Alvarez.
Welding Professor Kristoffer Villarreal said the technique and knowledge students gain at LSC-Cypress Center is the tip of the iceberg in this field as mastery takes years.
“Our program is designed to push our students out of their comfort zone and challenges them to learn from their mistakes,” said Villarreal. “Through this, students learn to self-critique and derive the high standards they place on themselves to be the best they can be while in the learning environment.”
The program’s hands-on approach and the development of skills through repetition and dedication to the process give students the freedom to enter the manufacturing field or work for themselves, he said. The program professors also introduced and inspired Alvarez to pursue a Welding Engineer path.
““The professors were extremely knowledgeable and focused on developing our technical skills,” said Alvarez, who graduated Magna Cum Laude with his LSC-CyFair AAS degree in Welding Technology in 2013. “The relationships with my professors and fellow classmates were crucial to my success. They are the ones who motivated me to continue with my educational career.”
Alvarez went on to Ohio State University graduating again Magna Cum Laude with a bachelor’s in 2017, with his master’s in 2020 and this past May, with his Ph.D., all in Welding Engineering.
“Welding has always been a part of my life and is a field that I am extremely passionate about,” he said. “Now that I have achieved the highest level of education in the field, I look forward to obtaining a career in a national research laboratory, where I can make use of all the skills I have acquired, including research and development.”
For information on Welding Technology program offered at the LSC-Cypress Center, contact Director of the Advanced Manufacturing Center at Michael.L.Young@LoneStar.edu. LSC-CyFair is currently registering for the fall semester which starts August 30 at LoneStar.edu/registration.