Rafael Rangel Sostmann

Rangel was born in Parral, Chihuahua, into a family formed by Rafael Rangel Romo, a mining engineer from Aguascalientes and co-proprietor of Molino de El Retiro, S. de R.L.[6] (a flour mill) and Josefina Sostmann, he has a sister Josefina Rangel Sostman who is a painter.[7] He undertook his secondary and preparatory studies in Parral at Instituto Regional, a school managed by the Society of Jesus,[7] and later moved to Monterrey to enroll at the Monterrey Institute of Technology. At Tech he imposed a national record in the 400 meters dash at the age of 22[8] and graduated with a bachelor's degree in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering in 1965.

After his graduation he moved to the United States, where he completed a master's degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1966 and worked for two years as a development engineer for Honeywell, in Minneapolis, before returning to Mexico and rejoining his alma mater in 1968 as an assistant professor.[9] In Mexico, he lectured on automation, machine instrumentation, and trained staff for the local industry before marrying Margaret “Peggy” Marshall, daughter of Dr. W. Robert Marshall, Jr., dean of engineering of UW–Madison,[10] on 25 January 1969.[1]

He went back to UW–Madison to complete his doctorate degree, which was awarded in 1973. Back in Mexico, he rejoined the Tech as an associate director of the recently created Querétaro campus. Two years later, in 1975, he was appointed director and served in the post until 1979, when he was promoted to vice-rector for the central region, in charge of seven campuses.[9] After the resignation of Fernando García Roel in 1984, he was appointed rector of the institute, at the age of 43.[11] After 26 years as rector, on 21 June 2010, he announced his retirement.

• List of Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education faculty