Global Spotlights

Rene Jacir

USG alumnus Rene Jacir - a middle-aged man in a hard hat wearing dark cargo pants and a button-down blue-green shirt in a hard hat - and holding a USF Alumni banner while standing in his company warehouse

Our earliest science lessons teach us that “metallic bonds are strong” and USF alum Rene Jacir from Colombia symbolizes this in more ways than one. Founder of J&E Estructuras, a firm that specializes in the design, manufacture and assembly of metallic structures, Mr. Jacir has maintained a bond with his alma mater and acknowledges USF’s role in his success. He graduated with a Master’s in Civil Engineering in 2008 and remains grateful to his professor, Dr. Bill Carpenter. Mr. Jacir fondly: “were it not for his support, I would have never graduated.”

Delving into USF history, this 2008 headline, USF Engineering Students Excel in National Student Engineering Competition features Mr. Jacir and his team coming in first place in the innovative design category to create the best prestressed concrete beam. The team placed third in the overall competition out of 54 teams. 

Mr. Jacir has drawn on the experience and knowledge he gained at USF to create J&E Estructuras. It’s evident from the company’s website that he created the firm by incorporating both the technical skills he learned in the classroom along with a USF ethos that focuses on teamwork, quality, transparency, and innovation.

According to the firm’s website, J&E Estructuras provides “engineering and metal construction solutions” for projects in Colombia and beyond for the industrial, commercial, port and institutional sectors. Their processes guarantee “cost optimization, speed and compliance in execution times, ease of execution in stages, and budget compliance from the design stage”. Explore their website to see a fascinating overview of their projects. 

Big things lie ahead for J&E Estructuras! In 2026, its vision is to become a “leading company in the Caribbean region and with an incursion into the international market for the construction of metal structures, supported by … engineering, quality, time and service, with the implementation of new techniques for the optimization of activities.”

Rene, we couldn’t be prouder. Go Bulls! #BullsRunTheWorld