Eugenio “Keno” Urquiza, Class of 1994

Mechanical Engineering

Eugenio “Keno” Urquiza (Class of 1994) remembers sharing his love for space with Professor Kennedy and gaining confidence in math with Mr. Graf. He says, “San Antonio Academy gave me great confidence in math, which motivated me to continue to pursue math along with physics and eventually engineering. More broadly, The Academy taught me to take pride in my work, my appearance, and the mutual rewards in teaching and mentorship.”

Keno earned a PhD in mechanical engineering from the University of California at Berkeley, and published original research on heat transfer in nuclear power and aerospace applications in several technical journals. He worked in thermal and cryogenic engineering at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory of NASA at Cal Tech in Pasadena, California. Today Keno is the Founder and Chief Engineer at Thermotive LLC, which makes thermal control components for scientific instruments.

To Academy students, Keno advises, “In truth, there is no destination, and there are only a few clear milestones along the way. The Bondurant Gate is one of them. Learning how to think, communicate, and feel true empathy is a constant and worthy pursuit.”