Cesar Duarte: Pioneering in engineering and innovation

“A trailblazer in both innovation and leadership, Cesar Duarte will leave behind more than just academic achievement at the NAU Yuma campus; he will leave a legacy. As a member of the university’s inaugural cohort of mechanical engineering students in Yuma, he helped shape the foundation of a program that will influence generations to come. His work on exoskeleton technology will help enhance mobility and quality of life for many. Beyond the lab, he has demonstrated vision and initiative by co-founding the university’s first engineering club, creating a collaborative space for aspiring engineers to learn, build and lead. As a Gold Axe recipient, his journey reflects not only technical excellence but a commitment to pushing boundaries and building community. Turning on the switch Duarte was born in Tucson and moved to Yuma with his family when he was four years old. As a child, he always showed an interest in how things worked. He remembers making an electromagnet for a science fair in fifth grade. “I basically got a battery, some copper wire and an outlet switch,” Duarte said. “I got an iron nail and wrapped the coils around it, creating a tiny electromagnet. I could turn it off and on. I used it to pick up paper clips. It was very cool. I did not understand the science of it at the time, but from there, I was hooked on creating more projects. Once I got to high school, I took an engineering class and my IT Essentials professor in my freshman year pushed me to go into engineering.” Cesar Duarte with his family after graduating from Arizona Western College When he graduated from Cibola High School, Duarte enrolled at Arizona Western College (AWC) in Yuma, and almost two years later, he found himself struggling to decide what to do after graduation. “When I was close to getting my associate’s degree, I was unsure what I was going to do,” Duarte said. “It was very expensive to go to one of the in-state universities to get my bachelor’s degree in engineering and I was struggling to make a decision. I was part of the YES program at AWC, and my enrollment coordinator, Rocio Napoles, approached me about eight months before graduation and told me they were opening a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering here in Yuma. She asked if it was something I would be interested in, and I immediately said yes. Both she and Dawn Whinnery helped me with my decision and made the transition from AWC to NAU as smooth as possible.” Juggling life as a Lumberjack Even though he was planning to go to NAU thanks to some transfer scholarships he had been awarded, the news about the program he was interested in being offered at the Yuma campus made the decision easy. “It has been great,” Duarte said. “I live with my parents and save on living expenses. I am part of the first cohort to graduate from the program here in Yuma. It was a very good decision. I received a transfer scholarship from the YES program, and I am part of the PTK Honor Society, so I was granted some money there, too. In my second year, I received a scholarship from the National Science Foundation. I am the only student in the engineering program in Yuma to have been awarded the NSF S-STEAM program scholarship.” Duarte also works part-time at the City of Yuma’s Traffic Engineering Department. He started as an intern and was offered the position when his internship ended. He said the hardest part of his journey at NAU has been never feeling like a full-time student while trying to juggle the balance of working and going to school at the same time. “One of the most significant factors in my ability to complete my degree has been the support from my family and my girlfriend, Adail Corona ,” Duarte said. “Adail and I have been together since our senior year of high school, and she has been by my side throughout this entire journey. We attended Arizona Western College together, graduated together, transferred to NAU Yuma together and now we are both getting ready to earn our bachelor’s degrees in May.” Building transmissions that will change lives On top of keeping up with his coursework and his job in the city, Duarte works with Dante Archangeli, assistant professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, with exoskeletons. His research involves developing a multi-speed planetary gearbox for lower exoskeletons, which will help achieve motor efficiency when carrying out different activities, such as walking, running and climbing steps. “In a car with an automatic transmission, for example, when you shift between first and second gear, there is a momentary slip in power from when you are transferring gears,” Duarte said. “In an exoskeleton application, you can’t have any loss of power because the exoskeleton is helping support an individual. Right now, exoskeletons have a fixed one-ratio gearbox, and we are trying to find ways to incorporate multiple ratios, as you would in a car, without the loss of power.” Building a legacy Duarte’s love for building transmissions is not only reflected in his work with exoskeletons. He is the co-founder of the Yuma Mechanical Engineering Club. Now, students at the Yuma campus will have the opportunity to compete in the SAE Baja Competition scheduled May 7-10 in the Pacific Northwest. “We wanted the Yuma program to be successful and to convince students in the surrounding areas that they will have the same experience as if they went to Flagstaff, Phoenix or Tucson,” he said. “We needed to have a staple project that is not only intensive but rewarding in the experience that it gives you. Now, Yuma students will have the opportunity to compete in the SAE Baja. We have a month left to work on our side-by-side and still have a couple of things we need to fabricate.” This competition includes mechanical engineering students from all over the West Coast, including NAU’s Flagstaff Mountain campus, ASU and UA. Duarte and his team have raised $16,000 in funds from local businesses to support their effort to participate in the competition. The road ahead Cesar with girlfriend Adai Corona Duarte applied to the mechanical engineering master’s program and was accepted. In the fall, he will attend the Flagstaff mountain campus to continue his education and work as a graduate research assistant. “ I have been very fortunate to receive so much support throughout my education at both NAU and AWC through the YES Program,” Duarte said. “The support and mentorship I received from Dr. Constantin Ciocanel through the S-STEM program, as well as the support from Dr. Jesus Mora Ramirez , Dr. Ravi Chandra Madasani , and Professor Daniel Sanchez , has had a tremendous impact on me. My research with Dr. Archangeli has also been incredibly meaningful, and the guidance he has given me has helped me greatly. If I could go back in time, I would tell myself that the road ahead would be hard, but I think I will make the same decision and do it all over again anyway.” Mariana Laas | NAU Communications (928) 523-5050 | mariana.laas@nau.edu

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