RECognition: Pedro Grimaldo Jr., Events
Recreation's monthly series to celebrate our staff
By Shawn Cyr
Assistant Marketing Director
Pedro Grimaldo Jr. has always been fascinated by technology. Using the science of today to solve the problems of tomorrow.
“When I was younger, I loved messing with computers and figuring out how things work,” he says.
His love of robotics only grew when he participated in Project Lead The Way, where he learned about 3D modeling and renderings. In high school, he started programming in AP Computer Science Principles and found his way into coding.
Fast forward to today. Pedro’s fascination with robots and technology has blossomed into his likely career path and grandest passion. In his role with UC San Diego Recreation’s Events team, Pedro uses — you guessed it — a robot to paint the lines of REC and Athletics fields.
“We map out the field layout, and the robot uses a satellite that we set up to adjust its path to make sure the lines are straight and in the right spots,” Pedro says. “I think it is a cool tool we use in our daily work area.”
Now the Events and Field Lining Lead, Pedro — who’s also a member of Triton Photography and the Gama Zeta Alpha Fraternity, Nu Chapter — joined REC in 2022 after a friend referred him. “And the rest is history,” he says.
“The community I get to be a part of is my favorite part,” says Pedro, whose favorite memories include annual department gatherings such as Friendsgiving and the holiday party. “REC has become my second home and I have met so many amazing people and made a lot of friends.”
Set to graduate in June 2025 with a degree in cognitive science (specializing in machine learning and neural computation) from John Muir College, Pedro is already putting the skills he’s learned to good work — including brainstorming ways to improve the field-lining robot.
“Right now, it follows a pre-programmed route using a satellite that we set up every time we use it,” he says. “But with something like reinforcement learning, it could adapt to different fields and the way the grass grows to make on-the-fly changes and ensure the lines are straight.”
His other REC duties include set-up and break-down of LionTree Arena for events, field and equipment preparation, and even some customer service. REC has been lucky to have him, says Event Operations Coordinator Kevin McGlone.
“Pedro is also on the Recreation Leadership Council and is constantly advocating for Recreation and the student employees,” McGlopne says. “He is an ascending young leader and vital to our team culture and level of service.”
Some of Pedro’s other interests include lifting weights, playing lacrosse, hiking, and cooking — spam musubi and tacos are two of his go-to dishes.
After graduation, Pedro is still exploring different career options and will pursue an internship or full-time role in machine learning and data science.
“I plan to keep building my skills in machine learning and neural computation and hopefully join a company that’s doing cool things with AI,” he says. “I’m looking forward to helping with real-life situations in which I can use my expertise.”
