Hispanic Heritage Month: Did You Know …?

Hispanic Inventors

Many of today’s inventions are the product of Hispanic inventors. Their work across STEM field areas has yielded many important inventions contributing to the overall social, economic and scientific landscape of the US. Among this extensive list of those patented, we find the development of the Capcha system used to distinguish humans from machines created by Guatemalan born Luis Von Ahn.  Guillermo Gonzalez Camarena, a native of Mexico, invented an early version of a color television transmission equipment, used in 1979 in the Voyager’s mission to take pictures of Jupiter. The work of Dr. Humberto Fernandez-Moran, a Venezuelan native, led to the invention of a scalpel that facilitated researchers to cut very thin slices for examination under a microscope. The neonatal artificial bubble that improves the intensive care of high-risk newborns was the invention of Claudio Castillón Lévano, born in Peru.

Contributions to health sciences

Intrigued by the incidence of dental disease, led Dr. Fernando Rodriguez Vargas (1888-1932), a dentist serving as a major in the US Army, to investigate its causes. His pioneering investigations led him to discover the bacteria causing dental cavities. A bust at Walter Reed Hospital honors his contribution.

A pediatrician and activist, Dr. Helen Rodriguez-Trías, was the first Latina to serve as president of the American Health Association. In her role as the medical director of the New York State Department of Health’s AIDS Institute, she brought national attention to the needs of families affected by HIV. She was the recipient of the Presidential Citizenship Medal.

Hispanics at NASA

For Hispanics, the sky has not been the limit, as their presence is widely evident as part of the NASA astronauts’ corps. This notable group includes 14 Hispanic men and women who have been actively engaged in NASA space programs. This distinguished team includes Ellen Ochoa, who holds the honor of being the first Hispanic woman to serve as a member in a space mission aboard the shuttle Discovery. An engineer and former astronaut, today Ochoa is the director of the Johnson Space Center.

At present, another Hispanic female, physician Serena Auñón-Chancellor, is an active crewmember of NASA’s Expedition 56/57.

In 1986, Franklin Chang, born in Costa Rica, became the first Hispanic-American to be part of a space mission. Later, in 1991, Sydney Gutierrez became the first US-born Hispanic astronaut traveling into outer space. The team also includes a Hispanic educator, Jose Acaba, a former science teacher who taught in Melbourne and Dunnellon, Florida, selected as part of the Educator Astronaut Program.

Hispanic scientists Nobel Prize recipients

Dr. Severo Ochoa, a biochemist and molecular biologist was the recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology in 1959 for his research on the synthesis of ribonucleic acid (RNA). His work led scientists to recreate the cell process responsible for translating hereditary genes.

The work of Dr. Mario Molina, a Mexican-born chemist, was recognized in 1995 when he received the Nobel Prize for his research on how man-made compounds affect the ozone layer.  In 2013, he became the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

References:

 Centro Español de Tampa https://www.nps.gov/nr/feature/Hispanic/2001/elcentro.htm

 Casa Amadeo: https://www.nps.gov/nr/feature/Hispanic/2001/amadeo.htm

 Dr. Rodriguez Vargas: https://aquiestapuertorico.com/fernando-e-rodriguez-vargas/ ;

 Dr. Rodriguez Trías: https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2001/12/30/helen-rodriguez-trias-dies/6c26fa7c-c48c-4e1b-8992-b906313a5afa/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.2b5d7d6b4bcf

 Ellen Ochoa: https://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2003/jun/HQ_03207_Ochoa_1st.html

 Inventor: https://www.uspto.gov/learning-and-resources/inventors-entrepreneurs/hispanic-heritage-and-inventions