San Juan, PR – In celebration of Community Leaders and Groups Week (Semana del Líder y los Grupos Comunitarios y de la Autogestión Comunitaria), which takes place the first week of March, the non-profit organization Ciencia Puerto Rico (CienciaPR) today published the digital book Science and Solidarity: Stories of Community Leaders in Puerto Rico (Ciencia y solidaridad: Historias de líderes comunitarios en Puerto Rico). The text highlights the stories of 11 community leaders who use science to address the needs and priorities of their communities.

The Coalición de Residentes de Vivienda Publica del Área Metropolitana (CRVPAM; Coalition of Public Housing Residents of the Metropolitan Area, in English) in collaboration with Laboratorio de Ciencia Comunitaria, a program of the non-profit organization Ciencia Puerto Rico (CienciaPR), celebrated today the “Feria de Servicios para Adultos Mayores” (Services Fair for Seniors). The event was the culmination of a series of workshops and activities to provide tools, training, and alternatives to improve the quality of life of older adults through science and community engagement.        

Congratulations to our Executive Director, Dr. Giovanna Guerrero-Medina, who was recognized as an Outstanding Research and Professional Mentor at the 2023 National Diversity in STEM Conference of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos Hispanics and native Americans in Science, also known as SACNAS.

Dr. Edwin Vázquez de Jesús was a product of Puerto Rico's public education system.  He graduated from Miguel Meléndez Muñoz High School and then did his bachelor's degree in Biology at the University of Puerto Rico at Cayey. He continued his academic career obtained his master's degree in Microbiology at Long Island University in New York, and pursued doctoral studies at City College of the City University of New York. He completed his studies at the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus with a Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Biology.