Our earliest science lessons teach us that 鈥渕etallic bonds are strong鈥� and USF alum Rene Jacir from Colombia symbolizes this in more ways than one. Founder of, 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鈥檚 role in his success. He graduated with a Master鈥檚 in Civil Engineering in 2008 and remains grateful to his professor, Dr. Bill Carpenter. Mr. Jacir fondly: 鈥渨ere it not for his support, I would have never graduated.鈥�
Delving into USF history, this 2008 headline, 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.
Mr. Jacir has drawn on the experience and knowledge he gained at USF to create J&E Estructuras. It鈥檚 evident from the company鈥檚 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鈥檚 website, J&E Estructuras provides 鈥渆ngineering and metal construction solutions鈥� for projects in Colombia and beyond for the industrial, commercial, port and institutional sectors. Their processes guarantee 鈥渃ost optimization, speed and compliance in execution times, ease of execution in stages, and budget compliance from the design stage鈥�. Explore their website to see a fascinating overview of their .
Big things lie ahead for J&E Estructuras! In 2026, its vision is to become a 鈥渓eading company in the Caribbean region and with an incursion into the international market for the construction of metal structures, supported by鈥ngineering, quality, time and service, with the implementation of new techniques for the optimization of activities.鈥�
Rene, we couldn鈥檛 be prouder. Go Bulls!