Journey to Becoming a Latin-American Scientist

Growing up I was the type of kid that played with dinosaurs and plastic toy animals. My favorite channels (besides cartoons) where Animal planet, National geographic, and Discovery channel (in that order). All my life I knew a couple things about myself, I was terrible at sports, and someday I really wanted to be a scientist. As I grew up I realized that being a scientist wouldn’t be easy. I come from an immigrant family, and if I went to college I would be the first in my family to ever do so, but I was determined. Throughout my high school education and even onto my college education I seldom learned about people of Latin heritage, like myself, and their impact on the scientific community. Today I am proud to have made it to college and be

Alderete, like the children of many immigrant parents, had to help his family by working while he was in high school. He recalls waking up early in the morning to work a couple hours before school started, and then working a different job after school. After graduating from high school Alderete attended the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (NM Tech) where he received his Bachelor of Science in mathematics in 1973. It wasn’t until after graduating that he discovered his true passion was for biology specifically microbiology. In 1978 Alderete received his P.H.D. in microbiology form the University of Kansas, Lawrence. Alderete focused his research on one of the world’s most commonly sexually transmitted diseases trichomonas vaginalis, commonly known as trichomoniasis or trich. This protozoal STD manifests itself in a variety of ways including genital Itching, burning, redness, sore and swollen genitals, a frequent urge to urinate, burning when urinating, and genital discharge. Trichomoniasis can be quite painful, but most commonly it is complete asymptomatic. However, trichomoniasis can increase a person’s probability of contraction other more dangerous STDs such as HIV and HPV. Alderete worked to find ways to treat and diagnose the disease and he and his work have been published in 53 book chapters, over 100 peer reviewed papers, and has given more than 363 seminars on his

Born in Rio Grande City Texas in 1942 to a Latin American father and a Mexican mother, Barerra always had a passion for science. Barerra received his B.A. in 1965 M.A. 1967and P.H.D. in 1970 form the Uiversity of Texas, Austin all in the field Microbiology. After his doctoral Barerra worked with the Clayton Foundation Biochemical Institute in Austin, until 1975. Barerra researched fungi and the chemical components of their enzymes. After his work in research, Barerra went on to become and assistant professor and college administrator at New Mexico State University and the University of Illinois Urbana Champagne. One of his most notable achievements however is his role as a founding father of the society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS). SACNAS is an organization that is now found throughout the country and Strives to empowers Chicanos and Native Americans to peruse careers in