(Sept. 27, 2017) -- Meet Federico Balbi ’00, ’03, ’07. This three-time UTSA alumnus has developed a free website that allows people to learn new languages.
Born and raised in Venice, Italy, Balbi grew up wanting to travel abroad, immerse himself in diverse cultures and obtain an advanced education. His parents never had the opportunity to finish school. They encouraged him to work hard and get the education they couldn’t so he could do more with his life.
As a teenager, Balbi enjoyed computer science and took took tech courses throughout high school. After completing high school in Italy, he became a systems administrator at the University of Padua in Italy. While he cherished his hometown, he knew that if he stayed there working full-time, he would never have time to get a degree.
Using his savings, he began his journey alone and came to the U.S. in 1996, eventually finding his way to UTSA.
“At that time, it was exciting because everything was new,” said Balbi. “It took me about three months to familiarize myself with the southern accents.”
While attending UTSA as an undergraduate, Balbi worked in the library and even received an internship through the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) program. He was introduced to opportunities to collaborate with a variety of research facilities.
“I had so much fun and was actually coding for the National Library of Medicine using a programming language developed and enhanced at the UTSA Department of Computer Science,” he said.
The Roadrunner earned his bachelor’s degree in computer science in 2000.
He loved the academics at UTSA so much, he dug even deeper and, in 2003, earned his master’s degree in computer science while working full-time.
“Graduate school was very rewarding because I really got to do the things I like such as independent studies and my own research,” he said. “I also enjoyed having many international friends.”
Using the knowledge he gained from his professors, Balbi decided to apply to the Management of Technology (MOT) master’s program and later earned his third degree from UTSA, a launching pad to his own company.
“This program was great because it was geared toward managing technological innovation and technology entrepreneurship,” said Balbi. “It was a combination of business and engineering, which plays a huge role in how I manage my business today.”
Balbi and two other friends from Venice developed Conversation Exchange, a free website for people who are interested in learning foreign languages.
“Conversation Exchange is a tool for cultural exchange,” he said. “We match people so they can write, chat online or actually meet face to face to practice and learn. It’s a hub where people help each other and get the opportunity to practice new languages and approach new cultures in a fun way. Because of my experiences, I speak Italian, English and Spanish.”
So far, Conversation Exchange features users from 180 countries, speaking 140 different languages.
Balbi said all three of his UTSA degrees have shaped his career goals and opportunities. He said his computer science degrees helped him succeed in software development while his management of technology degree gave him a better understanding of high-tech startups and entrepreneurship.
“UTSA taught me discipline,” said Balbi. “I focused on team building, high performance and quality computing, with access to huge computers and great instruments. I would love to eventually come back to UTSA and go for my fourth degree.”
Do you know a Roadrunner who is achieving great things? Email us at social@utsa.edu so that we may consider your suggestion for our next installment of Meet a Roadrunner.
Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn.
UTSA Today is produced by University Communications and Marketing, the official news source of The University of Texas at San Antonio. Send your feedback to news@utsa.edu. Keep up-to-date on UTSA news by visiting UTSA Today. Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Instagram.
Finalist candidates for the dean of the College of the Sciences will discuss their vision for the college.
Assembly Room, JPL 4.04.22, Main CampusIn this hands-on workshop, you’ll learn how to use AI to make your voice recordings sound professional, edit with easy text-based editing, and create high-quality recordings with royalty-free music, so you can focus on your story. You will also plan your own mini-podcast during the session.
Academic Innovation Center (MS 420)Have questions about making your OER accessible on UTSA Pressbooks? The OER Team and the Digital Accessibility Team are ready to answer them! Bring your questions about OER and accessibility and receive guidance from our two teams.
Virtual EventUpon completion of this workshop, attendees will be able to: explain the history of Creative Commons, summarize the role of copyright law in the creation of Creative Commons, differentiate between different CC icons, identify the different layers and elements of CC licenses and tools, and list factors to consider when choosing a license for your project.
Virtual EventJoin UTSA Librarians for this introductory workshop for early career faculty on how to build your online scholarly identity. We will discuss how to set up author profiles as well as find existing and emerging metrics for measuring research impact, including Impact Factor, Altmetrics, and beyond.
Virtual EventThis workshop explores the intersection of digital activism, data collection, and visualization techniques in the context of gender-based violence and feminist movements. Participants will learn how to harness the power of GraphCommons to create impactful visualizations that can amplify marginalized voices and reveal hidden patterns in complex social issues.
CEDISH Co-Lab 3.02.38, 3rd Floor, John Peace LibraryHave questions about making your OER accessible on UTSA Pressbooks? The OER Team and the Digital Accessibility Team are ready to answer them! Please bring your questions about OER and accessibility and receive guidance from our two teams.
Virtual EventThe University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.
To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.
We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.
UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education .
The University of Texas at San Antonio, a Hispanic Serving Institution situated in a global city that has been a crossroads of peoples and cultures for centuries, values diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university life. As an institution expressly founded to advance the education of Mexican Americans and other underserved communities, our university is committed to promoting access for all. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.