HEP@NASA LaRC

This page was created to recognize our Hispanic Employees' achievements and contributions throughout our NASA centers that have been featured in NASA News Releases &/or other publications.

NASA JSC Latina Being Recognized
HENAAC’s Board of Directors and TECHNiCA™ Magazine proudly announce
the 2005 HENAAC Award Winners. (http://www.henaac.org/). Among the winners were NASA's own:
- Alphonso V. Diaz, NASA HQ Associate Administrator Science Mission Directorate, selected as Hispanic Engineer of the Year. Full bio at http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/al_diaz_bio.html
- Mark Leon, NASA Ames Research Center Director of Education, received the 2005 HENAAC's Santiago Rodriguez Diversity Award.
Article at HENAAC [10-05]
NASA Official Honored as Federal Employee of the Year
NASA's Orlando Figueroa received the 2005 Service to America Federal Employee of the Year Medal during an award ceremony at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington. This award recognizes a federal employee whose professional contributions exemplify the highest attributes of public service. The award recognizes his leadership in NASA's successful Mars Exploration Rovers' mission.
Article at JSC Spaceref [09-05]
NASA JSC Latina Being Recognized
JSC Engineer Laurie Carrillo has been selected by the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) to receive the Past Presidents Award. This award is based on outstanding academic achievement as well as strong engineering potential. Carrillo will be recognized at the SWE National Convention in Anaheim, Calif., in November. This recognition comes with a $1,500 reward.
Article at JSC Features [06-05]
DREAMS ARE THE ROAD TO SPACE FOR NASA AEROSPACE ENGINEER
Rosa Obregon didn't realize it at the time, but the road from Monterrey, Mexico, to Corpus Christi, Texas, was the first leg of a long journey leading to NASA's Stennis Space Center (SSC), Miss.
Always interested in space, the 22-year-old aerospace technologist has gained hands-on experience in SSC's E-Complex, where she was involved in a hybrid rocket motor test program. She was also one of five test conductors for the External Tank Foam Test (ETFT) Project. The ETFT team simulated Florida weather conditions typical of Space Shuttle launch days to see what kinds of ice and frost formed on the tank's foam insulation.
Obregon is working on another NASA team testing hybrid motors. She hopes to be a test conductor for part of the series. "I'm trying to explore different aspects of NASA," she said. "I'm enjoying what I'm doing, but one day I want to be a test conductor, to push the button and see that beautiful flame," Obregon added.
RELEASE: MBO-05-079 [05-18-05]
Meet NASA's Future Explorer - Jose Hernandez [10/14/04] & Joseph Acaba
Hispanic NASA Astronaut Site
NASA Marshall Center's Wendell Colberg [UPR Alumni] selected for Senior Executive Service (SES) Candidate Development Program
NASA News RELEASE: 04-225 [09-03-04]
HISPANIC ENGINEER HELPS SPACE STATION CREWS STAY FIT
Growing up in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Carlos Ortiz-Longo liked to take things apart. His father, a medical doctor, encouraged his young son's curiosity, helping him learn the way things work, even teaching him to fix his own bicycle.Today, Ortiz-Longo is still fixing his bicycle. Only this one is more than 200 miles above the Earth, on the International Space Station. Ortiz-Longo manages a team of more than 30 people who keep the Station's exercise equipment tuned. The Crew Health Care System and Exercise Countermeasures team is located at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston.
NASA News RELEASE : 04-141 [April 28, 2004]
Media organizations interested in interviewing Ortiz-Longo should contact Julie Burt, JSC Public Affairs at: 281/483-5111.
NASA SPACE MEDICINE CHIEF INDUCTED INTO HENAAC HALL OF FAME
Dr. Nitza Margarita Cintron, chief of NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) Space Medicine and Health Care Systems Office, is a long way from her native Puerto Rico. Her plan to stay at NASA for only two years resulted in a 26-year career. Cintron was inducted into the Hispanic Engineers National Achievement Awards Conference's (HENAAC) Hall of Fame on October 7, 2004 during its 16th Annual Conference. The Hall of Fame was established in 1998 to recognize the contributions of Hispanics in science, engineering and technology. With Cintron, its membership numbers 25.
NASA News Release: 04-346 [Oct. 15, 2004]
Latina Women Of NASA Site: Dr. Nitza Margarita Cintron
Media organizations interested in interviewing Cintron should contact John Ira Petty, JSC Office of Public Affairs, at: 281/483-5111.
NASA HONORS MINORITY CONTRACTORS
Three firms were honored at NASA's 13th Annual Minority Business and Advocates Awards ceremony in Washington. NASA named Science Systems and Applications, Inc. (SSAI) as Minority Contractor of the Year. Crewstone Technologies was named Minority Subcontractor of the Year. Cimarron, Inc. was named the Women Owned Business of the Year. NASA also recognized outstanding advocates within the agency for their contributions and innovative approaches to using minority and women owned businesses. . . . NASA Headquarters and four NASA field centers were recognized for meeting or exceeding all negotiated socio-economic small business goals. The Glenn Research Center, Cleveland; Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama.; and Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va. were recognized.
For information and list of winners on the Web, visit: http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/codek/
NASA News Release: 03-300 [September 22, 2003]
SpaceRef.Com: 15030
PERSISTENCE & PASSION LEADS HISPANIC ENGINEER TO SUCCESS
Growing up in Santurce, Puerto Rico, Miguel Rodriguez knew by age 17, he wanted to work in America's space program. Little could he have known then staying focused on that goal would lead him to become director of the Operations Directorate at NASA's Stennis Space Center, Miss. As director of Stennis Operations, Rodriguez manages facility construction, maintenance, environmental programs, security, emergency services, utilities and other operations for about 4,600 Stennis personnel.
NASA News Release: 03-210 [June 26, 2003]
NASA - NASA'S FIRST FEMALE HISPANIC ASTRONAUT SHARES EXPERIENCES
NASA's First Female Hispanic Astronaut Shares Experiences Astronaut Ellen Ochoa, the first Hispanic woman to fly in space, has traveled the United States sharing her groundbreaking experience with students and educators.
NASA News Release: 03-207 [June 26, 2003]
Latina Women Of NASA Site: Dr. Ellen Ochoa
Hispanic NASA Astronaut Site
NASA - FIRST HISPANIC-AMERICAN ASTRONAUT LIVES CHILDHOOD DREAM
First Hispanic-American Astronaut Lives Childhood Dream Few NASA astronauts have chalked up more than a decade in space, but Franklin Chang-Diaz says he's been touring the cosmos for nearly half a century. His first spacecraft? An oversized cardboard box, fueled by the vivid imagination of a small boy who already knew what he wanted to do with his life and would meet every challenge to make it happen.
NASA News Release: 03-205 [June 26, 2003]
Hispanic NASA Astronaut Site
NASA ASTRONAUT LEADS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TRAINING
Astronaut Ronald Parise leads the first NASA sponsored, professional development training for the principal investigators of the Proyecto Access program starting May 15 at 1:00 p.m. EDT at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (8800 Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, Md.). During the professional development training, Parise, NASA Deputy Associate Administrator for Education Angela Phillips Diaz, and other agency staff will work closely with principal investigators to introduce the goals of NASA's Education Enterprise. The NASA staff will work to enhance the way agency content and resources are released into classrooms serving a primarily Hispanic student population.
NASA News Release: 03-170 [May 14, 2003]
LATINA SCIENTIST KEEPS AN EYE ON SMALLEST INHABITANTS OF SPACE
Monsi Roman, a Marshall Center microSitelogist, works to ensure safe water and air for the crew of the International Space Station. Roman studies microbes, living organisms including viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites — only visible under a microscope. Her job is like a detective, checking the tiny beings to see how they will behave on the Space Station.
To read more about Ms. Monsi Roman, visit Latina Women Of NASA
NASA News RELEASE: 03-101 [June 26, 2003]
Latina Women Of NASA Site: Ms. Monsi Roman
LANGLEY ENGINEERS HELP LATEST MISSIONS LAND ON MARS
Langley researchers also helped develop the parachute that will help slow the spacecraft during entry, descent and landing. "There are challenges to testing these parachutes because we can not test it at exactly the right conditions," said Juan R. Cruz, Langley research engineer who worked on the MER parachute design.
NASA News RELEASE: 03-039 [June 26, 2003]
Alabama's First Hispanic Youth Conference, Co-sponsored by Marshall Center, is Success
NASA News RELEASE: 02-255 [10/10/02]
GONZALEZ-SANABRIA APPOINTED TO SENIOR RANK
Olga Gonzalez-Sanabria, director of the Systems Management Office at NASA's Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, has been named a member of the U.S. government's Senior Executive Service. As Director of Glenn's Systems Management Office, Gonzalez-Sanabria supports the development of Center level strategic processes, implementation planning, and decision guidelines for program direction and resource allocation. She also ensures development and implementation of Center policies, processes and procedures that are consistent with NASA's Program and Project Management Processes and Requirements and oversees the implementation of Glenn's Business Management System.
NASA News RELEASE: 02-049 [July 8, 2002]
Latina Women Of NASA Site: Olga Gonzalez-Sanabria
LOCAL HISPANIC RESEARCHERS HONORED FOR CAREER SUCCESS
"Success through Education" will be the theme when two NASA Glenn Research Center employees are honored at the Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Awards Conference (HENAAC) to be held October 13 in El Paso, Texas. They were Dr. Marla Pérez-Davis, chief, Electrochemistry Branch and Dr. Felix A. Miranda, chief, Applied RF Technology Branch.
NASA News RELEASE: 01-078 [October 11, 2001]
Latina Women Of NASA Site: Dr. Marla Pérez-Davis
HISPANIC-AMERICAN ENJOYS THE HISTORY OF AMERICA'S SPACE PROGRAM FROM FRONT ROW SEAT AT NASA
Pedro “Pete” Rodriguez never fully realized he’s had a front-row seat in the history of the space program — until a colleague casually pointed it out one day. Since Rodriguez began his NASA career at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., 25 years ago, he’s worked alongside Dr. Wernher von Braun’s original rocket team, and has been part of the teams building the Space Shuttle, Hubble Space Telescope, and X-34 technology demonstrator.
NASA News RELEASE: 01-314 [Sept. 27, 2001]

Featured Hispanics - NASA News Releases

Other sites that outline NASA Hispanic achievements