In this month of Hispanic heritage we present 5 figures of Hispanic origin who changed the scientific paradigm. These illustrious figures came to the top of their field and have become references of Hispanic and world culture. In this important month we honor our origins of which we are so proud of. Personalities like these scientists are the personification of the greatness that we as Latinos can achieve.
Luis Alvarez
The American of Spanish origin was Born in San Francisco in 1911. He graduated as a physicist at the University of Chicago. In 1936 he received his doctorate at the same university. He was Professor at Berkeley, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) and at the University of Chicago. Alvarez was one of the members of the Manhattan Project for the manufacture of the atomic bomb. He directed the construction of the first linear proton particle accelerator. Also invented the liquid hydrogen bubble chamber, with which he identified many particle resonance states. In addition, he invented a radar system for landing aircraft without visibility. Alvarez devoted himself to the development of various branches of physics such as cosmic rays, nuclear physics and high energy physics. He investigated the theory of the disappearance of dinosaurs and most of the animal and plant life on Earth. In 1968 he received the Nobel Prize for his contribution in Physics.
Ellen Ochoa
She was born in California in 1958. Ellen is the granddaughter of Mexican immigrants from Sonora. Ochoa graduated in physics from the University of San Diego in 1980. Then studied for a Master of Science degree at Stanford in 1981 and a PhD in electrical energy. On April 8, 1993, Dr. Ellen Ochoa became the first female astronaut of Hispanic origin. In her first missions she analyzed and obtained key discoveries about our Earth orbit. She has made four space flights as cargo commander, mission specialist and flight engineer. She has about a thousand hours in space. Ochoa currently serves as director of Nasa’s Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. With a 30-year career at NASA, Ellen has become a symbol of pride for women in science. She currently leads gender and ethnic inclusion initiatives in the world of physics, engineering and general science.
Mario J Molina
This Mexican-American was born on March 19, 1943 in Mexico City. He graduated in Chemical Engineering at the National Autonomous University of Mexico City in 1965. Then, Studied at the University of Freiburg in Germany the kinetics of polymerizations. He obtained his postgraduate degree in physicochemistry at the University of Berkeley in 1972. Subsequently, he obtained his postdoctoral research degree at the University of Irvine. The Mexican scientist specialized in atmospheric chemistry who investigated the harmful effects of CFCs on the ozone layer. On October 11, 1995, Mario J. Molina was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his research on the ozone layer. Molina is one of the most representative figures in the fight against pollution. He dedicated his life to raising awareness of the planet’s major environmental challenges, such as the hole in the ozone layer and the climate crisis. We owe much of the fight to save the planet to Mario.
Franklin Chang
Franklin Chang-Diaz was born in San Jose, Costa Rica in 1950. From an early age Chang Diaz had a fascination with aerospace. He earned a B.S. (1973) in mechanical engineering from the University of Connecticut and a Ph.D. (1977) in applied plasma physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Chang was the first Latin American immigrant NASA astronaut selected to go into space and fly outside of Earth orbit. He was also the astronaut with the most space shuttle missions until 2021. In 2002 he assisted in the repair of the robotic arm of the International Space Station. He worked on the design of control systems for fusion reactors and experimental devices in inertial and magnetic confinement fusion. He is the founder and CEO of Ad Astra Rocket Company, a company dedicated to the development of its plasma engine for spacecraft. He is also a professor at the University of Houston and Rice University in Texas. We commemorate the importance of Dr. Franklin Chang because his work in the world of science and aerospace engineering, not only started the Latin American immigrant community to have a space in such a prestigious world but also is changing the world in the development of a plasma engine that allows us to make space travel in a more efficient and economical way.
Jacinto Convit
This Venezuelan born in Caracas entered the School of Medicine of the Central University of Venezuela, from where he graduated in 1938 with the degree of Doctor in Medical Sciences. He studied in the United States in 1950 and obtained the degrees of BSc and MSc in Chemistry at the University of Delaware. In 1954 he received a PhD in Chemistry from Tulane University in Louisiana. During the 1960’s Convit specialized in the field of leprosy and participated in work focusing on the biochemical and biological aspects of leprosy. In this study he presented an original method of differentiation between M. leprae and other mycobacteria. As a result, he obtained the development of a vaccine for Leprosy Immunotherapy, i.e. for the cure of this disease. This vaccine allowed him to boost his immune system and control the proliferation of the disease.
After his initial victory over leprosy, he initiated a process to develop the vaccine against leishmaniasis, since it shared similar immunological aspects to leprosy. The vaccine against leishmaniasis was remarkable and Venezuela became one of the first countries to avoid the appearance of epidemic outbreaks. Subsequently, he initiated research to find a cure for cancer. Awarded by medical institutions and one of the most valuable physicians of the WHO, he never practiced private medicine. He once said “The Nobel Prize does not keep me awake at night, the cure for cancer does”.