Celebrating Latin and Hispanic Heritage in the Sciences at the Academy

We reached out to several Academy scientists with Latin and Hispanic heritages to learn more about their fascinating scientific careers, their deep cultural roots and the importance of creating diverse opportunities as the foundation for excellence in research.

Hablamos con algunas científicas de la Academia con herencia latina e hispana para aprender más sobre sus fascinantes carreras en la ciencia, sus profundas raíces culturales y la importancia de crear diversas oportunidades como base para la excelencia en la investigación.

Mariangeles Arce H.  
Executive Director for the Center of Systematic Biology and Evolution  

I am from Bogotá, Colombia. I got my biology degree at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia and my PhD in Zoology in the Pontificia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil. I have been interested in evolution and biodiversity for at least 20 years of my career and I have worked with Neotropical freshwater fishes for most of that time.  

Before I tell you why I love what I do, I want to tell you why I love where I work. The Academy has the oldest biodiversity collections in the western hemisphere, and we have been doing research since its inception. Our collections gather biodiversity information on fauna and flora, from all over the world, dating back more than 200 years! There is so much history and so many stories in the Academy.  

As the head of CSBE, I get to work with amazing scientists that are answering research questions about the environment and its species and how those have changed not only in the last 200 years, but across millions of years. I aim to organize the research in ways that benefit the scientific community, but also to make all kinds of audiences understand the natural world and care for it.   

Personally, I am interested in understanding the processes that allow such a great diversification in catfishes. I was a collection manager for about 10 years and within the last couple of years, I found a passion to help other scientists leverage their research, to provide resources for them and the communities we aim to reach. 

Since 2017, I have led a project to build the Catalog of Fishes of Colombia which has become an aggregator to all information related to the fish biodiversity in the country and by doing this work and getting scientists together around a common goal to benefit a variety of audiences, I understood that I could be a resource to help science reach broader audiences.  

In 2018, I became the co-chair of the diversity, belonging and equity committee of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists and along with a group of likeminded people and the other co-chair, Rayna Bell, we were able to make changes to the society to make it more inclusive and more open. Building off this success, together with a couple of my dearest friends and ichthyology colleagues, we created the Latin American Female Ichthyologists Network, looking to create equal opportunities for women in science and specifically in ichthyology. Sadly, many countries still lag behind in inclusion.   

All representation in science is important, and we should all have the opportunity to see the world through the lens of science and understand how we are an integral part of the world we live in and how our actions can make an impact. Inclusivity provides perspective and vision.  

For me, science is the tool that helps us understand how the world operates, it helps us understand how we connect with nature and how we connect with the universe. It provides the knowledge and critical thinking to make informed decisions not only about the environment, but also about everything else. Having role models with whom new generations can identify will make more people have an interest in science and allow all knowledge to reach deeper, farther, better.   

Soy de Bogotá, Colombia. Obtuve mi título de biología en la Universidad Nacional de Colombia y mi doctorado en zoología en la Pontificia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul en Brasil. Desde hace por lo menos 20 años me interesa entender la evolución y la biodiversidad y desde ese entonces he trabajado con peces de agua dulce neotropicales. 

Antes de decirles por qué me gusta lo que hago, quiero decirles por qué me gusta el lugar donde trabajo. La Academia tiene las colecciones de biodiversidad más antiguas del hemisferio occidental y desde sus inicios la investigación científica ha estado presente. Nuestras colecciones biológicas reúnen información sobre la biodiversidad de la fauna y la flora de todo el mundo (información de más de 200 años). Me encanta saber que hay tanta historia y tantas historias en la Academia. 

Como directora de CSBE, trabajo con científicos increíbles que están respondiendo preguntas de investigación sobre el medio ambiente y sus especies y cómo estos han  cambiado no solo en los últimos 200 años, sino a lo largo de millones de años. Mi objetivo es organizar la investigación de manera que beneficie a la comunidad científica, pero también que todo tipo de público comprenda el mundo natural y lo cuide. 

Personalmente, me interesa comprender los procesos que permiten una diversificación tan grande en los bagres. Fui administradora de colecciones durante unos 10 años y, en los últimos años, descubrí mi pasión por ayudar a otros investigadores a tener los recursos adecuados para potencializar su investigación y por brindar recursos a las comunidades a las que queremos llegar. 

Desde 2017, he liderado un proyecto para construir el Catálogo de Peces de Colombia, que se ha convertido en un agregador de toda la información relacionada con la biodiversidad de peces en el país y, al hacer este trabajo y reunir a los científicos en torno a un objetivo común para beneficiar a una variedad de audiencias. En ese momento entendí que podía ser mediadora para ayudar a que la ciencia llegue a más gente.  En 2018, me convertí en copresidenta del comité de diversidad, pertenencia y equidad de la Sociedad Estadounidense de Ictiólogos y Herpetólogos y, junto con un grupo de personas con ideas afines y la otra copresidenta, Rayna Bell, pudimos hacer cambios en la sociedad para hacerla más inclusiva y abierta. A partir de este éxito, junto con un par de mis más queridas amigas y colegas de ictiología, creamos la Red Latinoamericana de Ictiólogas, que busca crear igualdad de oportunidades para las mujeres en la ciencia y específicamente en la ictiología. Lamentablemente, muchos países aún están rezagados en materia de inclusión. 

Toda representación en la ciencia es importante y todos deberíamos tener la oportunidad de ver el mundo a través de los ojos de la ciencia y comprender cómo somos una parte integral del mundo en el que vivimos y cómo nuestras acciones generan un impacto. La inclusividad proporciona perspectiva y visión. 

Para mí, la ciencia es la herramienta que nos ayuda a comprender cómo funciona el mundo, nos ayuda a comprender cómo nos conectamos con la naturaleza y cómo nos conectamos con el universo. Proporciona el conocimiento y el pensamiento crítico para tomar decisiones informadas no sólo sobre el medio ambiente, sino también sobre todo lo demás. Tener modelos a seguir con los que las nuevas generaciones puedan identificarse hará que más personas se interesen por la ciencia y permitirá que el conocimiento llegue más lejos. 

Kamila Kuabara 
Lab Manager for the Laboratories of Molecular Systematics and Ecology and the Ornithology Department  

I’m originally from a small town in countryside of São Paulo state, Brazil. When I was five years old, I moved to São Paulo capital, where I lived until I was 27, when I moved to U.S. to pursue my doctorate. I hold a bachelor’s degree in biology and a master’s degree in zoology. Both degrees I achieved in Brazil. During my master’s I came to the Academy for an internship, and when I was leaving, Jason Weckstein, my supervisor at the time, asked if I had any plans on applying for a doctoral degree. I applied and now I hold my PhD in ecology, evolution and earth systems from Drexel University. 

When I was an undergraduate, I had a regular job not related to biology. It paid partially for my undergraduate school, but I knew that was not what I wanted to do. So, I quit and looked for an internship in biology for a while. After a couple of months, I started a type of co-op (in Brazil we call it “scientific initiation”) with avian lice at the Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo.  

At the time I knew nothing about insects, even less about lice (only that they made me very itchy when I was young). There I learned how to mount a specimen, how to work on a scientific collection. I made my first scientific illustration, learned how to extract DNA and started learning English. We have almost no louse literature in Portuguese, so I was “forced” to read in English to learn about these insects. It was almost three years, but after that time I knew I wanted to do that for the rest of my life. After I graduated, I wanted to have a break between degrees, so I got a fellowship in the same museum to digitize part of their entomology collection. It was a great experience and a learning process for curatorial skills.  

Studying such small organisms like lice gave me perspectives on how every organism, for smaller it could be, has so much value. It carries so much information, so many interesting features and history. People always think that science is just a person with a white coat, a beaker and chemicals. But science is this and much more! I love to be this “traditional” scientist working in the lab, but I also love to be able to contribute new discoveries when I work with lice, describing new species and understanding their evolutionary paths. 

I am the first person from my family to enter college, the first one to get a PhD, and the first one to move abroad. It is never an easy “departure,” but we go where we have opportunities. I’m fortunate to work in this department where everybody is so welcoming to me and likes that I am from a different culture. They always want to know more about Brazil, the language, the food, the natural sites, the fauna, the flora — it is great. And since a lot of the work we do in Ornithology is focused on the Amazon, and my own research is mostly focused on the Neotropical fauna, we get a lot of visitors from Brazil, and I can say it is nice to have someone that shares the same roots as you, makes you feel like home. I also think it is nice for people to see that it is possible to come to the U.S., to make good science, and not to forget your origins.  

All of these experiences and the people I met along the way shaped me, and I’m glad for the opportunities I had, even more now, where I am. Because I can continue to share my knowledge and put my expertise into practice every day.  My hope is that, even from far away, I can be a great mentor like those that taught me, and that I can still contribute to the knowledge and preservation of the fauna from my home. 

Sou natural de uma pequena cidade no interior do estado de São Paulo, Brasil. Quando eu tinha cinco anos, me mudei para a capital São Paulo, onde morei até os 27, quando me mudei para os EUA para fazer meu doutorado. Sou bacharel em biologia e mestre em zoologia. Ambos os títulos eu obtive no Brasil. Durante meu mestrado, vim para a Academy para um estágio e, quando estava indo embora, Jason Weckstein, meu supervisor na época, perguntou se eu tinha planos de me candidatar a um doutorado. Eu me candidatei e agora tenho meu doutorado em ecologia, evolução e sistemas terrestres pela Drexel University. 

Quando eu era estudante de graduação, eu tinha um emprego regular não relacionado à biologia. Ele pagava parcialmente minha graduação, mas eu sabia que não era isso que eu queria fazer. Então, eu pedi demissão e procurei um estágio em biologia por um tempo. Depois de alguns meses, comecei uma iniciação científica com piolhos de aves no Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo. 

Na época eu não sabia nada sobre insetos, muito menos sobre piolhos (só que eles me davam muita coceira quando eu era criança). Lá aprendi a montar espécimes, a trabalhar em uma coleção científica. Fiz minha primeira ilustração científica, aprendi a extrair DNA e comecei a aprender inglês. Quase não temos literatura sobre piolhos em português, então fui “obrigada” a ler em inglês para aprender sobre esses insetos. Foram quase três anos, mas depois desse tempo eu sabia que queria fazer isso pelo resto da minha vida. Depois que me formei, queria ter uma pausa entre os cursos, então consegui uma bolsa no mesmo museu para digitalizar parte de sua coleção entomológica. Foi uma ótima experiência e um processo de aprendizado para habilidades curatoriais. 

Estudar organismos tão pequenos como piolhos me deu perspectivas sobre como cada organismo, por menor que seja, tem tanto valor. Ela carrega tanta informação, tantas características interessantes e história. As pessoas sempre pensam que a ciência é apenas uma pessoa com um jaleco branco, um béquer e produtos químicos. Mas a ciência é isso e muito mais! Eu amo ser esse cientista “tradicional” trabalhando no laboratório, mas também amo poder contribuir com novas descobertas quando trabalho com piolhos, descrevendo novas espécies e entendendo sua evolução. 

Eu sou a primeira pessoa da minha família a entrar na faculdade, a primeira a obter um doutorado e a primeira a se mudar para o exterior. Nunca é uma despedida fácil, mas vamos para onde temos oportunidades. Tenho a sorte de trabalhar neste departamento onde todos são tão receptivos comigo e gostam que eu seja de uma cultura diferente. Eles sempre querem saber mais sobre o Brasil, a língua, a comida, os locais naturais, a fauna, a flora — é ótimo. E como muito do trabalho que fazemos em Ornitologia é focado na Amazônia, e minha própria pesquisa é focada principalmente na fauna neotropical, recebemos muitos visitantes do Brasil, e posso dizer que é bom ter alguém que compartilha as mesmas raízes que você, faz você se sentir em casa. Também acho que é bom para as pessoas verem que é possível vir para os EUA, fazer boa ciência e não esquecer suas origens. 

Todas essas experiências e as pessoas que conheci ao longo do caminho me moldaram, e estou feliz pelas oportunidades que tive, ainda mais agora, onde estou. Porque posso continuar a compartilhar meu conhecimento e colocar minha experiência em prática todos os dias. Minha esperança é que, mesmo de longe, eu possa ser um grande mentor como aqueles que me ensinaram, e que eu ainda possa contribuir para o conhecimento e a preservação da fauna do meu país. 

Alejandra Martinez-Melo 
Collection Manager of Invertebrate Paleontology   

I was born and raised in Mexico, and my parents showed me how rich my culture is. I was fortunate to study at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), where I learned that I must share my knowledge and my resources with my country, and it was thanks to UNAM that I met my mentor, Jesús Alvarado, PhD, who always showed me that, even with fewer resources, Latin American countries can do science just as important as well developed countries. My major was in biology, I have a master’s and a PhD in marine biology from the National University in Mexico, and two postdocs in paleontology. 

Working at the ANS, I’ve met many hardworking, inspiring women whom I respect and admire. They’ve shown me that sisterhood is key to achieving great things. I am entrusted with the care of around a million fossils from all around the world, and I find joy in sharing this treasure with everyone. I am privileged to work with Drexel students during their co-op placements, WINS interns who create their own projects, and volunteers who actively contribute to improving our collection. Visitors and members regularly tour our collection, while scientists conduct research on our specimens. I am also fortunate to conduct my own research and make new discoveries about ancient life in the oceans. I never get bored! 

I have always been curious about living beings, which has led me to a career filled with great experiences. Thanks to science, I have made excellent friends and met colleagues around the world. It has also embedded in me a strong sense of duty towards my country of origin, my community and the biome.  

To me, science is the tool that human beings use to understand and describe nature, as well as to find solutions to problems. And the study of nature has its roots in ancient cultures. However, since the formalization of scientific knowledge, the field of science has been predominantly occupied by privileged groups who have the means to dedicate time to analyzing nature.  

Thankfully, many Latinos recognize a glimmer of opportunity and have stepped forward to seize it, paving the way for those who will follow. We need to show both Latinos and the rest of the world that this is a valuable and worthwhile field to explore. I hope that a young girl or teenager will hear my story and feel in her heart: Hey, I can do that! 

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Yo nací y crecí en México, y mis padres me mostraron cuán rica es mi cultura. Tuve la fortuna de estudiar en la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, en donde aprendí que es mi deber compartir mi conocimiento y mis recursos con mi país, y fue gracias a la UNAM que conocí a mi mentor, el Dr. Jesús Alvarado, quien siempre me mostró que, aún con menos recursos, los países latinoamericanos podemos hacer ciencia igual de importante que los países más desarrollados. Estudié la carrera de biología, hice mi maestría y doctorado en biología marina en la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, e hice dos posdocs en paleontología. 

Trabajando en la ANS he conocido muchas mujeres increíblemente trabajadoras con las que tengo la fortuna de colaborar, y que me muestran día con día que apoyándonos unas a otras podemos lograr grandes cosas. Me han confiado el cuidado de alrededor de un millón de fósiles colectados alrededor del mundo y me alegra compartir este tesoro con todos. Tengo el privilegio de trabajar con estudiantes de Drexel durante sus prácticas co-op, pasantes de WINS que crean sus propios proyectos, y voluntarios que contribuyen activamente a mejorar nuestra colección. Los visitantes y miembros vienen periódicamente a conocer nuestra colección, mientras los científicos realizan investigaciones sobre nuestros especímenes. También tengo la suerte de realizar mi propia investigación y hacer nuevos descubrimientos sobre la vida en los océanos antiguos. ¡Nunca me aburro! 

Personalmente, siempre he sentido curiosidad por los seres vivos, y esa curiosidad me ha dado una carrera llena de grandes experiencias; gracias a la ciencia he hecho excelentes amigos y conocido a colegas alrededor del mundo, y me ha dado un sentimiento de responsabilidad para con mi país de origen, mi comunidad actual, y con el planeta.     

Yo definiría la Ciencia como la herramienta que usa el ser humano para conocer y describir la naturaleza, así como para encontrar soluciones a problemas, y el estudio de la naturaleza proviene desde las culturas antiguas, pero desde la formalización del conocimiento científico, la ciencia pertenece a grupos privilegiados que pueden detener todo para sentarse y analizar la naturaleza.  

Afortunadamente habemos muchos latinos que vemos una puerta de oportunidad ligeramente abierta y ponemos el pie, y el brazo, y abrimos esa puerta para nosotros y para los que vienen detrás, y debemos mostrar a latinos y el resto del mundo, que este es un campo que vale la pena explorar. Yo sueno con que alguna niña o adolescente conozca mi historia y sienta en su corazón: ¡oye, yo puedo hacer eso! 

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You can support the Academy’s research efforts to understand the natural world and inspire everyone to care for it by becoming a member or donating to our scientific collections.

Tú también puedes apoyar los proyectos de investigación de la Academia, y así ayudar a entender y proteger la riqueza natural convirtiéndote en miembro o haciendo una donación a nuestras colecciones científicas.

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