Biosketch
Rojann Jermaine Dela Cruz Portacion is a Computer Engineering student at UMass Lowell with aspirations of building a career in the semiconductor industry and eventually becoming an engineering leader within the field. Born in Manila, Philippines, R.J. spent most of his childhood growing up in Singapore before moving to the United States. With both of his parents working in technology, he grew up surrounded by a field that constantly fascinated him and developed an early curiosity for the technology shaping the world around him.
RJ's journey through undergraduate research began in Dr. Xingwei Wang's optics laboratory, where he explored applications of optical fibers, including structural health monitoring and a project involving glucose biosensing. He later joined Dr. Anhar Bhuiyan's semiconductor research group, where his lifelong fascination with technology developed into a more defined interest in semiconductors. Research also pushed him to become more comfortable communicating technical ideas. He presented his first research poster at UMass Lowell's 29th Annual Student Research Symposium to both technical and nontechnical audiences and later delivered a three-minute thesis on his work through the Office of Multicultural Affairs' Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Training and Excellence Program (STEP).
RJ has continued pursuing this interest through industry experience. During his 2026 co-op at Applied Materials, he works in Electrochemical Deposition Process Engineering, gaining firsthand exposure to semiconductor manufacturing and process development. His next step is a nanofabrication and microscopy internship with UMass Lowell's Core Research Facilities. Each experience has allowed him to see a different side of the semiconductor field and has helped him better understand where he hopes to take his career.
Just as important to R.J. has been how much he has changed personally since arriving at UMass Lowell. Growing up, he was extremely timid, and the person he was in high school feels almost unrecognizable to him today. He has since become deeply involved across campus. Proud of his Filipino heritage, R.J. spent two years on the executive board of The Filipino Club. He also serves as a Francis College of Engineering Ambassador and social media chair and is in his second year as an RHSA Peer Leader, where he mentors incoming first-generation engineering students.
The Shah Academy has helped accelerate much of that growth by continually pushing R.J. beyond what was comfortable to him. While participating in a 60-second business pitch competition alongside other Shah Academy scholars, he challenged himself to communicate confidently under pressure. The Shah Academy also encouraged him to begin sharing his experiences and building professional connections through LinkedIn. Some of his favorite experiences have come from Shah Academy office hours, where he can spend one-on-one time learning from industry leaders and professionals, along with informal meet-and-greets in the Shah Academy Lounge. These conversations have given him access to perspectives and lessons early in his college career that he may otherwise have taken years to encounter.
R.J. has put that growth into practice through IGNITE, an organization he founded at UMass Lowell. When building its executive board, he sought out friends in whom he saw leadership potential and gave them meaningful responsibility in shaping the organization alongside him. While away from campus for his co-op, R.J. remains involved in IGNITE's direction while watching those same students take greater ownership of their roles. Seeing that happen has reinforced an idea that has become important to him: good leadership means recognizing potential in others and giving them the opportunity to develop it.
One of the most important lessons R.J. has taken from the Shah Academy is an appreciation for the unknown. Seeing how quickly unfamiliar experiences and new challenges can accelerate his development has made him more willing to pursue opportunities without knowing exactly where they will lead. That willingness has shaped many of the experiences that now define his time at UMass Lowell, from entering new areas of research to presenting his work and eventually starting an organization of his own.
Looking ahead, R.J. hopes to continue developing the technical expertise needed to contribute to the semiconductor industry while growing into the kind of leader who can bring out the best in the people around him. The technology that fascinated him as a child inspired him to become an engineer. His experiences at UMass Lowell, and especially through the Shah Academy, have helped him begin to understand the kind of engineering leader he wants to become.