Demonstrating Engineering Excellence in the Community: Gabriella Luna
In 1923, Mother Columkille Colbert, CCVI, former then-Incarnate Word College (IWC) president, ushered in immense expansion at the institution, including the construction of the Science Hall which debuted in 1926. After years of development and accreditation, the institution’s science program has now evolved into the University of the Incarnate Word’s School of Mathematics, Science and Engineering (SMSE). Today, SMSE has upheld a legacy of supporting students seeking to innovate the world around them by entering the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
One of SMSE’s remarkable students is senior Mechatronics Engineering major Gabriella “Gabby” Luna.
Now entering her fourth year at UIW, Luna has been heavily involved on campus as an athlete on the Swim and Dive team, a member of the Autonomous Vehicle Systems Lab and a counselor for the Girls in Engineering, Math and Science (GEMS) program. She loves her field of study, notably enjoying the problem-solving aspect and the real-world applications.
“Being able to take what I study and see it reflected in everyday life fills me with hope and excitement about what I’ll be able to do in the future,” said Luna.
Luna shared that having opportunities to participate in engineering-based programs and competition at/through UIW has been enlightening. Taking the foundational concepts learned in the classroom and applying that knowledge to real world situations has allowed her to challenge and better her understanding. Through her experiences, she has learned that engineering is more than just solving equations. It requires creativity, adaptability and continuous growth.
As a GEMS counselor, she has been able to help young girls nourish their curiosity for STEM by leading them in labs and other activities. Being close in age to participating girls, she expressed that it has been rewarding to be a mentor that demonstrates that a future in STEM is possible. Instead of girls just being affirmed verbally, they also get to see someone like them pursuing their passion and making their dreams a reality.
“I want to be the role model I wish I had growing up — someone who shows them that they can thrive in a male-dominated field and make a real impact,” explained Luna.
In addition to making her impact on the Broadway campus, Luna recently demonstrated her intellect and dedication to professionals within the field this summer at the 2025 American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) conference in Montreal, Canada. As one of the only undergraduate presenters in her the entire conference, she presented the work she did with two high school-level GEMS members where she was able to teach them how to use a Quanser QArm, which Luna described as a robotic arm with high-range motion and an RGB camera, programmable in MATLAB, Simulink and Python.
Her research focused on how, as an undergraduate student, she was able to take professional-level tools and concepts and make them comprehensible for high schoolers. Her teaching approach resulted in her mentees creating a color detection algorithm capable of detecting a regional plant known as the prickly pear cactus.
When presenting, she felt nervous but was also confident that she knew her research inside and out. Her 12-minute-long presentation flew by seamlessly as she shared her findings. By the end, she was met with several questions from audience members, positive feedback and impressed remarks. She found it fulfilling to be able to share her work with others passionate about similar topics.
“Gabby is an amazing engineer, student athlete and leader,” expressed Dr. Michael Frye, professor of engineering and Luna’s mentor. “I am always impressed with how she manages her very busy schedule and her grace under pressure. For example, the day of her ASEE presentation, she had spent the morning helping her high school mentee on her ASEE presentation and then 30 minutes before her talk, she simply pivoted and got ready for her presentation. After ASEE she spent the next four weeks as a student mentor for our GEMS camp. She truly represents the UIW Mission in action!”
Luna has no intentions of slowing down as she enters her final undergraduate year. She intends to work hard as an athlete and as a researcher, especially while developing her senior engineering capstone. Once she crosses the Commencement stage as a 2026 graduate and flies beyond the Nest, she hopes to attend graduate school and specialize in either Mechanical Engineering or Controls. Long term, Luna would love to work in the engineering industry, particularly in motorsports or aerospace. Her ultimate dream is to work in Formula 1 as an engineer for a racing team.
“Participating in GEMS, engineering competitions and presenting at ASEE has helped me grow tremendously,” stated Luna. “As my skills have grown, so has my confidence. These opportunities have shown me that I can succeed in this field, and they’ve also helped me see how engineering is constantly evolving — and that I must grow and adapt with it.”