“I was born in Bolivia, a lower-middle income country. I was strongly influenced by my father who sees education as an investment for personal development. Education has expanded my view of the world,” he said.
Alvarado-Vargas obtained his bachelor’s degree at Bolivian
Private University (Universidad PrivadaBoliviana), where he studied production
engineering.
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| Dr. Marcelo Alvarado-Vargas |
“The university exposed me to various companies and business
people. I am still in contact with them, and with authorities of the
university.”
Later, he obtained a master’[s degree in international
business at Florida International University in Miami. “I returned to Bolivia in 2004, a young engineer
with a master’s degree, but it was very difficult to find jobs…I was
overqualified,” Alvarado-Vargas said. “I
was hired by Bata, a shoe manufacturer, and worked there for five months. I was
happy there, but they did not use my full potential, and I didn’t see any
challenges there.”
“I saw an opportunity to study abroad, in Belgium, so I
obtained a scholarship from the Belgian government and went to Ghent University
(Universiteit Gent) for a master degree in operations and technology management.
They speak Dutch there; I already spoke English, Spanish and French, but I
don’t like to feel lost, so I learned Dutch in the evenings. I think to be functional in society you have
to be motivated to be part of that society.”
“While in Belgium I was a graduate assistant to a professor
who exposed me to different kinds of research, and pushed me to keep going,”
Alvarado-Vargas said, reflecting on his own passionate interest in research.
“Then I received a stipend from Florida International
University, arriving in Miami in 2007 to pursue my Ph.D. in industrial and systems
engineering, but I transferred to business administration….which was the best decision
of my life. This is what I really like, and with my engineering background, I
was unique. Strategic management, innovation, and technology management are my
areas of research, and I was able to bring different angles and viewpoints to
it. Some look only at business, and some look at engineering, but I was able to
bridge the gap, which I think also enhances the classroom experience for my
students. I graduated in the summer of 2013 with a Ph.D. in business
administration.”
Alvarado-Vargas said he loves teaching, and recalled that
his first instructional experience was as a private tutor as a senior in high
school, charging a minimal fee to earn extra money. His first formal teaching
on the university level was in 2008 at FIU, teaching Engineering Economic Analysis, a textbook which still maintains a
prominent position on the shelf above his office desk in Stranahan Hall South.
Later, he taught strategic management, international business, managing
innovation, operations management, and organizational management at FIU.
In his search for a full-time teaching position, he accepted
an invitation to visit The University of Toledo College of Business and
Innovation.
“I was very happy and surprised the first time I came to The
University of Toledo; I knew I belonged here. When something is right for you,
you feel that energy. Comparing it to other institutions I had the chance to
know from inside, I think UT is equally competitive in resources for research,
and, since it was founded in 1872, this school has a history.”
Alvarado-Vargas’ commitment to research even extended to his
process for selecting a football team to cheer for, using strategy “to pick my
NFL team forever.” He spent a year analyzing the 32 teams, their strengths and
weaknesses, and finally determined that his winning team would be the
Pittsburgh Steelers. “Having an
engineering background, I could relate to steel…besides, who has a dolphin for
a mascot?”
Since settling in Toledo this past summer, he’s been to the
museum, the zoo and some area restaurants, but admits he is still exploring the
city. He added that he does not miss the traffic or weather of Miami, and that,
“I think winter clothing is more elegant.” In addition to helping his students
succeed, he enjoys a variety of live music, playing the guitar, travel, movies
(Braveheart, A Beautiful Mind and Amadeus
are his favorites), and admits to being into motocross sports, especially when
he was younger.
“As a teenager, I was really determined about my future. If
I wanted something, I found a way to get it,” he said.
Currently, his focus and determination remain intense and
intact. “Everything is possible if you really put in the effort.”
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