During my PhD, I really missed being close to my family in Orocovis and interacting with other Puerto Ricans that also wanted to contribute ideas to the scientific development of the island. I wasn’t sure where to start so I decided to invite Dr. Daniel Colón Ramos, a professor at Yale University, to offer a seminar to students and professors of my program at Brandeis University. Daniel agreed, and without realizing it, I got involved in one of the most rewarding projects of my professional life.

My name is Paola Giusti Rodriguez and I am from Río Piedras. Although I’ve been a volunteer at CienciaPR for only 3 years, I’ve known about the organization for almost 9 years, and I share many years of friendship with many in volunteer team.  Samuel and I studied together at the UHS (University High School at the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras) and we’ve known each other for more than 20 years.  Giovanna was my mentor at UC-Berkeley when I interviewed for graduate school and years later our paths crossed again in Boston.

Ciencia Puerto Rico exists and is a vibrant community thanks to the commitment, passion, and work of dozens of volunteers.  There are many who throughout the years have given their time, ideas and knowledge to make our organization what it is today.

To celebrate this, our tenth anniversary, we will be sharing stories of CienciaPR Team members. These anecdotes will highlight stories not only how our volunteers have played a leading role in the achievements of the organization, but also how they are an example that one can work for a better Puerto Rico, no matter where one lives.  

Ciencia Puerto Rico support summer internships for students who are interested in leadership and professional development through the PARACa program of the non-profit organization Mentes Puertorriqueñas en Acción. Here, we present a guest post by Christina López, a student at Cornell University, who participated in this program with Ciencia Puerto Rico during the summer of 2014. This year we are looking for a maximum of 3 students interested in working with us. For more information, please read the end of this blog or view the internship opportunity here:

New Haven, CT - The nonprofit organization Ciencia Puerto Rico (CienciaPR, www.cienciapr.org) received a large grant to establish, in collaboration with Yale University, an innovative program to transform the training of young scientists in Puerto Rico and the United States. The funds, which amount to over $1.6 million over five years, were awarded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).