This is historical material “frozen in time”. The website is no longer updated and links to external websites and some internal pages may not work.

Search form

Somos Geeks: Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month

Summary: 
On Thursday, October 15, OSTP will host a special episode of "We The Geeks" to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

We at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy couldn’t be more excited to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month by highlighting some of our Nation’s Hispanic achievers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, and by underscoring the importance of ensuring that the Nation’s next generation of inventors, discoverers, and innovators fully reflects the diversity of America.

Hispanics have been historically underrepresented in undergraduate and graduate STEM programs, comprising only 2 percent of the U.S. STEM workforce despite the fact that nearly 20 percent of the country’s youth population is Hispanic. We know that for America to remain competitive in a global economy, we need to do all we can to draw upon the Nation’s increasingly diverse talent pool.

This episode of We the Geeks, or “Somos Geeks,” will shine a light on some Hispanic STEM role models and discuss the urgent need to help minority students across the country envision themselves as tomorrow’s discoverers, explorers, developers, and STEM innovators.

Join us here on Thursday, October 15 at 3:00 pm ET for "Somos Geeks: Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month." 

In this Google+ Hangout, some of the Nation’s  Hispanic STEM innovators and STEM-education advocates will share their inspiring personal stories and thoughts on how we can all step up to help strengthen America’s STEM-skilled workforce by making it broader and more diverse. 

The live discussion will be moderated by Knatokie Ford, Senior Policy Advisor at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and  Monica Ramirez Basco, Assistant Director for Neuroscience, Mental Health, and Broadening Participation at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Special guests will include:

  • Serena Auñón, Astronaut, NASA Johnson Space Center
  • Idaykis Rodriguez, Postdoctoral Researcher, Physics Education Research Group, Florida International University
  • Jessica Santana, Co-founder, New York on Tech
  • Oscar Vazquez, First Line Supervisor--Locomotive Repair Foreman, BNSF Railroad

Got comments or questions? Ask them using the hashtag #WeTheGeeks on Twitter and on Google+ and we'll answer some of them during the live Hangout. Got a great story about Hispanic achievement? Share that using the hashtag #LatinosAchieve. Interested in finding local STEM programs or organizations that are doing great work to promote Latino achievement? Check out these “bright spots” in Hispanic Education, courtesy of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics.

We the Geeks" is a series of Google+ Hangouts to discuss science, technology, and innovation in America through conversations with Administration officials and private-sector contributors.

Knatokie Ford is a Senior Policy Advisor at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.