Luz was born in Mc Allen, Texas, and raised in Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico. Having spent her formative years in rural and urban areas of Mexico, she returned to the United States to pursue her higher education. As an undergraduate student, Ms. Sotelo was named Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Student of the Year, in light of her academic performance as well as her research, mentoring, and leadership activities. In May 2016, Ms. Sotelo graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering.
Currently, she is pursuing her Doctor of Philosophy degree in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln (UNL). Her research involves quantitative methods for ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation, and their applications to emerging materials, industries, and technologies, specifically in metal additive manufacturing. She has received multiple institutional fellowships and was awarded a 2018 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.
Luz is also an advocate for diversity, access, and inclusion. She serves as the UNL Graduate Student Assembly Diversity and Inclusion Committee Chair, the Mechanical and Materials Engineering Graduate Student Advisory Committee Chair, and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers Community Service Chair. In her spare time, Ms. Sotelo enjoys reading fantasy books and dancing to Latin music.