ORLANDO, FL — July 9, 2026 — (NOTICIAS NEWSWIRE) —The Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico (PUPR) celebrated yesterday the commencement ceremony of its Orlando Campus, where a select group of new professionals completed their academic training in engineering, business administration and technology. The graduation reaffirms the Orlando Campus as a space where academia connects with industry and knowledge is transformed into real opportunities. The ceremony was held at the Orlando Campus facilities, located at 550 N. Econlockhatchee Trail, and marked one of the central moments in the commemoration of the institution’s 60th Anniversary, founded in Puerto Rico in 1966 and present in Central Florida since 2003.
The graduating class represents the best evidence of a deliberate growth strategy: to prepare innovative, competitive engineers and business professionals ready to lead in an environment driven by technology, artificial intelligence and digital transformation. These graduates strengthen the competitiveness of companies and contribute to the economic development of Florida and Puerto Rico.
The Orlando Campus responds directly to Goal #4 of the University’s 2022-2027 Strategic Plan: expansion, positioning and strategic alliances. In meetings held with the Puerto Rico Department of Economic Development and Commerce (DDEC) and the chambers of commerce of Puerto Rico and Florida, the Polytechnic University identified clear market priorities: specialized continuing education, STEM talent development, advanced entrepreneurship, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, the aerospace industry, construction management and talent recruitment. Its academic offering and alliances connect students, from day one, with the opportunities that move the business and industrial world.
“At the Polytechnic University, academia connects with industry to turn knowledge into opportunities. On our 60th Anniversary, the Orlando Campus demonstrates that our educational model transcends borders and prepares leaders ready to compete, drive digital transformation and move the economy of the future.”
– Ernesto Vázquez Martínez, President of the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico
Alliances that open the way
In recent months, the Orlando Campus formalized five strategic memoranda of understanding (MOUs) that anchor its growth in Central Florida: the Hispanic Metro Florida Chamber of Commerce, the Puerto Rico College of Engineers and Land Surveyors (Florida Chapter), the Office of Senator Rick Scott, the Central Florida Contractors Association, and SVG Institute. These alliances open the way to continuing education, internships, employment opportunities in collaboration with BMA Group, and the joint development of solutions for industry and government. They represent a network of opportunities that drives students’ professional development from day one and replicates in Florida the University-Industry-Government linkage model that has distinguished the Polytechnic University since its founding.
“Each alliance we sign in Central Florida opens a concrete connection for our students and graduates. Our objective is to consolidate the Orlando Campus as a benchmark for STEM and business education, with real opportunities for employment, internships, applied innovation and professional development for the community.”
– Dr. Lilliam Román, Director of the Orlando Campus, Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico
Aerospace innovation: Orlando’s new differentiator
The graduation comes just one year after the inauguration of the Aerospace Engineering Laboratory at the Orlando Campus, a state-of-the-art space with a $2.9 million investment that includes a jet engine for testing, an autonomous vehicle research laboratory, and supersonic and subsonic wind tunnels. The laboratory also features advanced flight simulators, 3D printers for aerospace prototypes, aeronautical modeling and simulation software, and facilities for materials and aerodynamics testing, positioning Orlando as a key node for Florida’s aerospace industry, identified by the Polytechnic University as one of the market’s strategic priorities.
At the laboratory’s inauguration in April 2025, Dr. Adriano Parisi, then Director of the Florida Campuses of the Polytechnic University, stated: “This state-of-the-art laboratory is a center of discovery, a platform for developing ideas and a compelling testament to our commitment to education, research and progress. It demonstrates that when vision meets determination, great things happen.”
Results that support the value proposition
| 74%
of undergraduate alumni already employed |
79%
of graduate alumni already employed |
86%
work full time |
| 72% earn salaries above $45,000 annually |
71% work in the U.S. private sector |
Academic excellence with a flexible and innovative model
Engineering continues to be a key differentiator for the Orlando Campus, a lower-volume but high-value program that the institution continues to strengthen in order to attract a specific student profile. In parallel, the Polytechnic University has expanded its Business Administration offering, including the Bachelor of Science in Organizational Management (BSOM), available to students from any academic background, under the concept “Engineering + Entrepreneurship = Venture Creation” that distinguishes the institution in the Central Florida market. This offering responds to a flexible and innovative educational model designed for today’s professional student: it combines academic rigor, applied technology, practical learning and training aligned with the competencies demanded by the fastest-growing industries in Central Florida.
The Orlando Campus also leverages two central competitive advantages: its bilingual profile, with a faculty and administrative team mostly of Hispanic origin capable of assisting students in Spanish when they need it, and its academic flexibility, with a trimester calendar, in-person, hybrid and 100% online modalities, and continuous progression from bachelor’s degree to master’s degree. This flexibility allows active professionals to continue developing without disconnecting from the labor market. All of this is supported by the more than 50 years of accreditations and recognitions the institution has accumulated from its main campus in San Juan, including its 4-star rating in the international QS Stars system and its designation as a National Center of Excellence in Cyber Defense Education, granted by the NSA and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Toward the next 60 years
This graduation is part of the commemoration of the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico’s 60 years and its transition toward what the institution calls the University of the New Century: a scalable educational platform in Puerto Rico and Florida, where academia connects with industry, knowledge is transformed into opportunities and the leaders who will move the economy of the future are prepared. With each new alliance, each state-of-the-art laboratory and each graduating class, the Orlando Campus advances in its objective of becoming a recognized STEM benchmark in Central Florida and throughout the United States.
About the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico
Founded in 1966, the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico is a leading institution in specialized programs in engineering, architecture and business administration, committed to academic excellence and the comprehensive development of professionals prepared for a globalized world. In 2026, the University commemorates its 60-year trajectory under the theme Imagine, Build and Lead. It has campuses in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Orlando, Florida – the latter its expansion platform into the U.S. market since 2003 – and offers a curriculum in in-person, hybrid and virtual modalities, supported by strategic alliances, applied technology and an offering aligned with industry needs. The institution was awarded a 4-star rating in the international QS Stars system, a recognition that highlights its commitment to academic quality, the employability of its graduates and its global impact, and positions it as the first and only institution in Puerto Rico to receive this distinction. The Polytechnic University is also the first and only private university in Puerto Rico designated by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as a National Center of Excellence in Cyber Defense Education.
CONTACT:
Yoly Torres Cuesta
787.525.3652
yolanda.torres@arcopublicidad.com
