León, Gto., June 3, 2017.- Irvin Fabián Marínez Rodríguez, student of the educational program of Physics of the Division of Sciences and Engineering of Campus León of the University of Guanajuato (UG), was the winner of the first place of the John Bahcall Physics Award 2017, through which he will make a research stay, during the summer, under the supervision of Dr. Enrico Ramírez Ruíz, in the Niels Bohr Institute, in Denmark.

During the award ceremony was also present David Godos Valencia, from the Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP), who obtained the second place.

"Fabián is a sample of educational quality given at this campus", that is what Dr. Carlos Hidalgo Valadez mentioned, Rector of Campus Leon, while recognizing the learning dynamic of the Division of Sciences and Engineering, and said to be proud for the value of the students' value when they present their proposals and postures to their pairs.

At the same time, he addressed the members of the student community to express that they represent a society of knowledge that makes the University of Guanajuato proud. To Irvin, he expressed the best success during his stay, where "you will have the chance to enrich with one of the most distinguished Mexican astrophysicists, Dr. Enrico Ramírez Ruíz".

On the other hand, the Director of Sciences and Engineering (DCI), Dr. David Yves Ghislain Delepine, in his welcome message he manifested with pleasure to hold such event, he emphasized that DCI is more than a research center, it is a university community, with the mission to form high-critic-level human resources with a scientific culture.

He added that the researchers of this division transmit to the student community university values such as humility and responsibility. He recognized the efforts from the scholars such as Dr. Alma Xóchitl González Morales and Dr. Luis Arturo Ureña López, who were judges of the contest.

After receiving the first-place award, Irvin Fabián Martínez mentioned to the attendants that the project that led him to this award began a year and a half ago, when he applied for first time for a science club. There he began to make simulations of galaxies, then he moved to Zacatecas, Monterrey and Mexico City, places where he continued with his work.

During his intervention, Fabián Martínez thanked the support of his professors for reinforcing his academic formation.

This distinction is a national contest, open to all the students from the degrees in Physics of related programs, with interest for Astronomy and Astrophysics.

The John Bahcall Award was established in 2009. It is the second time that a student from DCI obtains it, and this was the second year where professors of the Department of Physics organize the contest. Until now, nine students from different parts in the country have received this award.

During the award ceremony, there was the presence of: Ing. Miguel Santa Ana Téllez, representative of the Hertel Foundation, who promotes this award; Dr. Silvia Torres Castilleja, professor of the Institute of Astronomy of the Universidad Autónoma de México (UNAM) and a judge of the contest, and Dr. Xóchitl González Morales, professor-researcher of the Department of Physics of the DCI of Campus Leon of UG, who was also member of the organizing committee.