The MBL is proud and inspired to see so many familiar faces in this list, compiled by Cell Mentor/Cell Press! Among them are MBL Fellows Daniel Colón-Ramos and Alejandro Sánchez Alvarado; the late Joe L. Martinez Jr., co-founder of the MBL SPINES course; Veronica G. Martinez Acosta, co-director of the Biological Discovery in Woods Hole Summer Opportunity for Undergraduate Research Program (NSF-REU); and Ulises Ricoy, director of outreach initiatives at the Grass Foundation. And many more … Congratulations to all!
From Cell Mentor/Cell Press
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor once said, “Until we get equality in education, we won’t have an equal society.” Though aimed at society as a whole, her words also apply to our scientific society.
Until the scientific community makes dedicated efforts to include minority scholars, science will never be an equal society. While the Supreme Court recently ruled to block attempts to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, the fight against systemic racism is a long journey that extends far beyond this case. We must all work to ensure scientists from all walks of life are supported and welcomed into the scientific community in order to build a landscape that more accurately represents the makeup of society.
In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, we’re showcasing 100 of the most inspiring Hispanic/Latinx scientists working in the United States. This list—selected based on scholarly achievements, mentoring excellence, and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion—represents only a subset of the scientific role models in the community. Our aim in assembling these names is to put an end to the harmful myth that there are not enough diverse scientists to give seminars, serve as panelists, or fill scientific positions. We highlight scientists encompassing careers within academia, government, and biotech and showcase individuals committed to serving diverse student populations at Hispanic-serving institutions. Although we understand this list is not fully representative of the Hispanic/Latinx scientific community, we hope it will help to change the perception of what a scientist looks like and makes our collective image more representative of society at large. Read more …