Trailblazing Hispanic Scientists

Hispanic Heritage Month honors contributions made by Hispanics—people with ancestors from Spanish-speaking countries—and Latinos, or those from Latin America and the Caribbean. That includes famous people like actress Jenna Ortega, musician Bad Bunny, and artist Frida Kahlo. Hispanics and Latinos have also made advances in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)!

Hispanics and Latinos have been conducting groundbreaking science for hundreds of years, says Emily Key, who works in education at the National Museum of the American Latino. Despite their important achievements, she says, many of these trailblazers are “not necessarily in the eye of the public.” That’s because history books often focus more on the work of White scientists.

Hispanics and Latinos have designed rockets, discovered new species, and helped save millions of people from deadly diseases. Read about Hispanic and Latino scientists from the past, and learn how their modern counterparts are following in their footsteps.

Hispanic Heritage Month honors the work of Hispanics and Latinos. Hispanics have ancestors from Spanish-speaking countries, and Latinos are from Latin America and the Caribbean. That includes famous people like actress Jenna Ortega, musician Bad Bunny, and artist Frida Kahlo. Hispanics and Latinos have also made advances in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)!

Hispanics and Latinos have conducted groundbreaking science for hundreds of years, says Emily Key. She works in education at the National Museum of the American Latino. They’ve made important contributions. But many of these trailblazers are “not necessarily in the eye of the public,” she says. That’s because history books often focus more on White scientists. 

Hispanics and Latinos have designed rockets and discovered new species. They’ve helped save millions of people from deadly diseases. Read about some of these scientists from the past. Then learn how modern Hispanic and Latino scientists are following in their footsteps.

As the daughter of a Mexican diplomat, Ynés Enriquetta Julietta Mexía lived in many different parts of North America. In 1909, Mexía’s family moved to Northern California. Exploring the state’s redwood forests ignited a passion for botany—the study of plants. At age 51, Mexía embarked on her first expedition to collect plant specimens in Mexico. She would go on to travel across the Americas, from Denali National Park in Alaska to the Amazon rainforest in Brazil. Throughout her career, Mexía defied beliefs about how a woman should behave. She traveled alone, rode horses, wore pants, and advocated for the rights of Indigenous women. In 13 years, Mexía collected nearly 150,000 specimens and discovered 500 new plant species.

When Kathrin Barboza Márquez was in college, she attended a lecture on bats. “I didn’t even want to go,” she confesses. But what she learned convinced her to devote her life to studying these flying mammals. In 2006, Barboza Márquez rediscovered Tomes’s sword-nosed bat, a species believed to be extinct in her home country of Bolivia since the 1930s. She started a campaign to create the first protected areas in Latin America to help save bat species. Barboza Márquez now works to bring scientific knowledge into decisions made by the Bolivian government. “I would like science to spur real conservation actions,” she says.

Ynés Enriquetta  Julietta Mexía was the daughter of a Mexican diplomat. She lived in many different parts of North America. In 1909, Mexía’s family moved to Northern California. When she explored the state’s redwood forests, she fell in love with botany. That’s the study of plants. At age 51, Mexía went on her first expedition. She collected plant specimens in Mexico. Later, she traveled across the Americas, from Denali National Park in Alaska to the Amazon rainforest in Brazil. During her career, Mexía challenged beliefs about how a woman should behave. She traveled alone, rode horses, and wore pants. She also spoke up for the rights of Indigenous women. In 13 years, Mexía collected nearly 150,000 specimens. She discovered 500 new plant species.

In college, Kathrin Barboza Márquez attended a lecture on bats. “I didn’t even want to go,” she confesses. But that lecture changed her life. She decided to study these flying mammals. In 2006, Barboza Márquez rediscovered Tomes’s sword-nosed bat. People thought this species had been extinct in Bolivia since the 1930s. That’s Barboza Márquez’s home country. She started a campaign to create protected areas for bat species. These areas were the first of their kind in Latin America. Now Barboza Márquez works with the Bolivian government. She provides scientific knowledge that they can use to make decisions. “I would like science to spur real conservation actions,” she says.

In 1975, Mexican-born chemist Mario Molina made a startling discovery about a group of human-made gases called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). They were destroying Earth’s protective ozone layer—the part of Earth’s atmosphere that shields the planet from the sun’s rays. Back then, CFCs were used in products like refrigerators, aerosol spray cans, and air conditioners. At first, researchers thought Molina’s warnings about CFCs were exaggerated. Eventually, his findings were confirmed, and scientists began advocating for solutions. In 1989, governments around the world agreed to phase out CFCs. Now the ozone layer is almost completely healed. In 1995, Molina’s findings earned him the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Nicole Hernandez Hammer was born in rural Guatemala. When she was 4, her family moved to the U.S. Living in a more urban area, she felt “starved for nature.” She decided to become an environmental scientist, researching the impact of climate change on coastal communities. Warming temperatures are causing ice caps to melt and sea levels to rise. Hernandez Hammer realized that Latinos and other communities of color are most affected by rising ocean waters. She started working with environmental groups in Florida and elsewhere to highlight how climate change impacts these communities. “I have a duty as a scientist, as a mother, and as a Latina to sound the alarm,” she says.

Mario Molina was a chemist born in Mexico. In 1975, he made a startling discovery about a group of human-made gases called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). They were destroying Earth’s protective ozone layer. This part of Earth’s atmosphere shields the planet from the sun’s rays. Back then, CFCs were used in products like refrigerators, aerosol spray cans, and air conditioners. At first, researchers didn’t believe Molina’s warnings about CFCs. Finally, his findings were confirmed. Then scientists began to recommend solutions. In 1989, governments around the world agreed to phase out CFCs. Now the ozone layer is almost completely healed. In 1995, Molina earned the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his findings.

Nicole Hernandez Hammer was born in rural Guatemala. When she was 4, her family moved to the U.S. There, living in a more urban area, she felt “starved for nature.” Hernandez Hammer decided to become an environmental scientist. She researched the impact of climate change on coastal communities. Temperatures are warming. That causes ice caps to melt and sea levels to rise. Hernandez Hammer saw that rising ocean waters affect Latinos and other communities of color the most. She wanted to highlight the impacts on these communities. So she started working with environmental groups in Florida and elsewhere. “I have a duty as a scientist, as a mother, and as a Latina to sound the alarm,” she says.

The rocket that NASA used to send astronauts to the moon in 1969 was inspired by the drawings of a Peruvian engineer born nearly 100 years earlier. Pedro Paulet is considered one of the fathers of the space age. In 1895, he left his home country of Peru to study chemistry and engineering in Paris. There he came up with the idea for the first rocket engine powered by liquid fuel. His model was revolutionary. Before this, scientists were convinced that gunpowder was the best way to propel a rocket to space. Paulet never saw his idea become reality. But today, NASA and others recognize his contributions to rocket science. Peru even celebrates “Aerospace Science and Technology Day” every July 2 on Paulet’s birthday!

When Frank Rubio was growing up in Miami, Florida, he wanted to become a doctor. The son of a single mother from El Salvador, he never dreamed that he could be an astronaut. Rubio became a surgeon and a helicopter pilot for the U.S. Army. Then in 2017, he applied to become a NASA astronaut—and was chosen! “What are the chances that a kid like me would end up being where I am today?” he said when he was selected. In 2022, NASA announced that Rubio would go to the International Space Station (ISS), a massive laboratory that orbits Earth. On the ISS, Rubio conducted more than 300 experiments. He also performed three spacewalks—working outside the station to install new hardware. After 371 days on the ISS, Rubio returned to Earth. He was the first American to live in space for more than one year.

In 1969, NASA used a rocket to send astronauts to the moon. The rocket was inspired by a Peruvian engineer’s drawings. He was born in Peru nearly 100 years earlier. Pedro Paulet is considered one of the fathers of the space age. In 1895, he left Peru to study chemistry and engineering in Paris. There, he came up with a groundbreaking idea. It was a rocket engine powered by liquid fuel. Before this, scientists believed that gunpowder was the best way to send a rocket to space. Paulet never saw his idea become reality. But today, NASA and others recognize his contributions to rocket science. Peru celebrates “Aerospace Science and Technology Day” every July 2. That’s Paulet’s birthday!

Frank Rubio grew up in Miami, Florida, and wanted to become a doctor. He’s the son of a single mother from El Salvador, and he never dreamed that he could be an astronaut. Rubio became a surgeon and a helicopter pilot for the U.S. Army. Then in 2017, he applied to become a NASA astronaut. And he was chosen! “What are the chances that a kid like me would end up being where I am today?” he said at the time. In 2022, NASA announced that Rubio would go to the International Space Station (ISS). This massive laboratory orbits Earth. On the ISS, Rubio conducted more than 300 experiments. He also performed three spacewalks. During these, he worked outside the station to install new hardware. Rubio spent 371 days on the ISS and then returned to Earth. He was the first American to live in space for more than one year.

In the 1700s and 1800s, a mysterious illness was spreading across North America. People were experiencing muscle pains, fever, headaches, and nausea. Their skin and eyeballs were turning a yellowish hue, giving the illness its name: yellow fever. No one knew what caused the disease—until a Cuban doctor named Carlos Juan Finlay discovered the answer. Finlay studied medicine in the U.S. and Europe, and then returned to Cuba to work as an ophthalmologist—a doctor who treats eye disorders. He devoted his free time to studying yellow fever. In 1881, Finlay proposed that the deadly disease was passed from person to person by infected mosquitos. Other scientists ridiculed Finlay’s theory. But that didn’t stop him. Over the next 20 years, Finlay conducted more than 100 experiments and successfully proved his idea correct.

Susana López Charretón was a student in Mexico’s largest public university when she first heard about rotaviruses. These viruses—nonliving particles that invade and reproduce in living cells—cause diarrhea and vomiting. Rotaviruses are especially dangerous for children and cause the death of 200,000 every year, mainly in developing countries. López Charretón identified the process by which rotaviruses invade cells in the body’s digestive system. These findings helped other researchers develop a vaccine to treat rotavirus infections. In 2001, this research earned her the Carlos J. Finlay Prize for Microbiology. López Charretón hopes that her story will inspire younger generations to work on problems in their home countries.

In the 1700s and 1800s, a mysterious illness spread across North America. People had muscle pains, fever, headaches, and nausea. Their skin and eyeballs turned a yellowish color. So the illness was named yellow fever. No one knew what caused the disease. Finally, a Cuban doctor named Carlos Juan Finlay discovered the answer. Finlay studied medicine in the U.S. and Europe. Then he returned to Cuba to work as an ophthalmologist. This type of doctor treats eye disorders. In his free time, he studied yellow fever. In 1881, Finlay proposed his idea. Infected mosquitos were passing the deadly disease from person to person. Other scientists made fun of Finlay’s theory. But that didn’t stop him. Over the next 20 years, Finlay conducted more than 100 experiments. He proved his idea correct.

Susana López Charretón was a student in Mexico’s largest public university. There, she first heard about rotaviruses. They’re a group of viruses, nonliving particles that invade and reproduce in living cells. Rotaviruses cause diarrhea and vomiting. They are especially dangerous for children. Rotaviruses kill 200,000 children every year, mainly in developing countries. López Charretón discovered how rotaviruses invade cells in the body’s digestive system. These findings helped other researchers develop a vaccine for rotavirus infections. In 2001, she earned the Carlos J. Finlay Prize for Microbiology for this research. López Charretón hopes that her story will inspire younger generations to work on problems in their home countries.