Dr. Marcelo Schupbach grew up in a small farming town in Patagonia, Argentina, where his fascination with electricity and motors began. He earned his Electrical Engineering degree from Universidad Nacional de La Plata in Buenos Aires before pursuing his MSEE and Ph.D. at the University of Arkansas. Marcelo began his career at Arkansas Power Electronics, Inc. (APEI), where he played a key role in growing the startup into a leader in wide-bandgap power electronics. As CTO, he helped secure over $50 million in research funding, generate hundreds of patents, and expand the company significantly. In 2012, he joined Cree, Inc. (now Wolfspeed), focusing on Silicon Carbide (SiC) technology commercialization. A recognized innovator in his field, Marcelo holds over 30 patents and has received several awards and distinctions, including the University of Arkansas Young Alumni Award, which honors outstanding professional and personal achievements of recent College of Engineering graduates Despite his professional achievements, Marcelo’s greatest pride is his family—his wife of over 20 years, Lindsay, and their two children, Ian and Sara.