ME Student & Engineer — University of Michigan

Alexandre
Aarao Reis Arturi

Mechanical engineer, builder, and lifelong explorer from Brooklyn, NY. I believe engineers have a duty to serve the public — and I intend to honor that.

"Sleep is a waste of life." — My Grandpa
Alexandre Aarao Reis Arturi
4.0 GPA
BSE Mech. Eng. + Physics Minor
01

About Me

I'm a curious kid from Brooklyn who grew up wondering how things work — and never stopped asking. Engineering, to me, isn't just a career. It's a calling to understand the world and build it better.

I'm pursuing Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan because I'm drawn to the physical — to manufacturing, to energy systems, to the satisfying reality of making things with your hands. My Physics minor keeps me asking the deeper "why" behind every design decision.

Outside the classroom, I'm an extreme extrovert who paradoxically treasures quiet moments of reflection. I'm proud of my Brazilian roots and actively involved with the Brazilian Student Association on campus. When I'm not in the machine shop or the lab, you'll find me DJing, mountain biking, chasing music festivals, or reading about the cosmos.

What I bring to every team: genuine collaboration, people-first leadership, and the relentless energy of someone who believes sleep is, in fact, a waste of life.

From
Brooklyn, New York
Currently
BSE Mechanical Engineering
Physics Minor — UMich '28
Languages
English · Spanish · Portuguese
Passions
Travel Music & DJing Nature Space Mountain Biking Brazilian Heritage
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Experiences & Competencies

Pantanal Partnership
Executive Board Member & Social Chair
Nov 2024 — Present · Ann Arbor, MI

Developing sustainable engineering solutions for indigenous communities in Brazil's Pantanal region — designing and fabricating an eco-incinerator prototype capable of processing up to 10 lb of waste per cycle, while building the community around the project.

  • Designed and assembled an eco-incinerator prototype with airflow-optimized combustion supporting 300+ community members
  • Fabricated physical components using band saws, mills, and angle grinders for iterative testing
  • Doubled team size through strategic recruiting events, socials, and networking initiatives
Engineering Competencies Demonstrated
Systems Thinking Ethics Global / Cultural Awareness Entrepreneurial Mindset

This experience demanded Systems Thinking — balancing environmental constraints, limited resources, and safety to engineer a real solution for a real community. It also required deep Global/Cultural Awareness, engaging meaningfully with indigenous Brazilian communities, and Ethics: ensuring our work served the common good rather than imposing external values.

UMich Physics Dept.
Physics Learning Assistant
Aug 2025 — Present · Ann Arbor, MI

Teaching Electricity & Magnetism to 50+ students weekly — developing customized learning strategies, structured problem-solving frameworks, and collaborating with faculty to refine instruction.

  • Assessed student understanding and built individualized learning strategies for E&M concepts
  • Designed problem-solving frameworks including force diagram decomposition and misconception targeting
  • Helped students improve exam scores by up to 20% through structured coaching
  • Collaborated weekly with faculty to align teaching materials with course objectives
Engineering Competencies Demonstrated
Communication Empathy Leadership Lifelong Learning

Effective teaching is pure Communication and Empathy — I had to meet students exactly where they were, reason from their misunderstandings, and guide rather than just explain. The role also sharpened my own Lifelong Learning: you only truly understand something when you can teach it.

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Honors Plan Development

The Michigan Engineering Competencies framework guides how I track and develop my growth as an engineer. Below is my self-assessment across all twelve competencies, alongside two SMART goals anchoring my Honors journey.

Communication
Exemplary
Interpersonal skills are my strongest asset as an engineer. I believe I'm equally effective as an active listener and as someone who clearly expresses opinions and ideas.
Get involved in more team projects across different roles to broaden my communication breadth beyond what I've already experienced.
Creativity
Developing
My STEM-heavy education often emphasized a single 'right answer,' which has shaped — and somewhat constrained — how I think creatively.
Expand creative outlets beyond engineering: through music production, writing, and exploring artistic expression to build a more generative mindset.
Empathy
Proficient
Growing up with a mother who is a therapist deeply shaped my capacity to listen and understand. I believe I give good advice because I genuinely try to inhabit someone else's perspective.
Go beyond listening and advice — show up for people consistently, even long after their hardest moments have passed and others have moved on.
Entrepreneurial Mindset
Developing
Entrepreneurship has never been a strong pull for me — the stress and uncertainty have historically outweighed the appeal.
Surround myself with people who have entrepreneurial tendencies. Let their energy and thinking gradually reshape my own comfort with ambiguity and innovation.
Ethics
Exemplary
This is what defines an engineer to me. Being 'people first' is the foundation of everything — what good is talent and knowledge if it isn't used to genuinely help others?
Continue attending ethics in engineering workshops, and apply those principles directly to my work with indigenous communities in Brazil building the eco-incinerator.
Global / Cultural Awareness
Exemplary
Being of international descent and having traveled extensively — including abroad — has given me immersive, firsthand exposure to diverse cultures and perspectives.
Continue learning new languages as a form of cultural bridge-building. French is next on the list.
Grit / Resilience / Persistence
Exemplary
When it comes to resilience, I excel. No amount of needed sleep justifies not mastering the material the night before. It is important to persist the cold night to survive the morning.
Deepen involvement across project teams and communities at Michigan — without letting coursework become the ceiling of what I pursue.
Leadership
Proficient
Leadership runs deeper than engineering for me. I was named football team captain my senior year of high school and have never shied away from positions where my voice and presence are needed.
As I develop seniority in project teams like Pantanal Partnership and MRacing, I need to prioritize those leadership opportunities and grow into them intentionally.
Lifelong Learning
Proficient
Curiosity has always driven me — from wondering how things work as a kid to pursuing a Physics minor simply because I want to understand the deeper 'why.' I actively seek out knowledge beyond what's required.
Pursue research opportunities and interdisciplinary learning beyond my coursework. Make a habit of reading, exploring, and connecting dots across fields.
Risk Management
Developing
I'm still early in my experience making high-stakes engineering decisions under uncertainty. I've led teams and managed projects, but formal risk assessment is an area I'm actively building.
Engage more deeply with design and project work where I must evaluate trade-offs under constraints — treating failure and iteration as structured learning opportunities.
Systems Thinking
Proficient
Work like the Pantanal eco-incinerator and Formula SAE chassis has pushed me to think across scales — from individual components to community-level impact. I've learned to zoom in and zoom out simultaneously.
Tackle more complex, multi-variable design problems — especially in energy and manufacturing contexts — to sharpen my ability to model and reason about full systems.
Teamwork
Exemplary
I thrive in teams. From leading a four-person engineering team to growing Pantanal Partnership through community-building, I know how to leverage diverse strengths and foster genuine collaboration.
Step into team roles that challenge my comfort zone — specifically roles that require conflict navigation and cross-disciplinary coordination at a larger scale.

SMART Goals

Goal 01
Deliver a Field-Tested Prototype for the Pantanal Community
By May 2026, I will complete and document a fully field-tested eco-incinerator prototype with the Pantanal Partnership — recording the full design process, materials, and community feedback — and present the results at one campus engineering showcase or Honors event.
Goal 02
Build Technical Depth in Energy Systems
By December 2026, I will complete one upper-level course or research experience focused on energy systems or thermodynamics, and connect those learnings to a tangible deliverable — a written reflection, project contribution, or co-authored report — that I can add to this portfolio.
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Get In Touch

Whether it's a project, a question, or just to connect — I'd love to hear from you. I'm always open to collaboration, internship conversations, and new ideas.

Send a Message