SACNAS Remembers Founding Member Dr. Ciraco Gonzales

SACNAS fondly remembers beloved founding member Dr. Ciriaco Gonzales, who passed away in May 2020. In addition to mentoring hundreds of students as a professor at the College of Santa Fe, New Mexico and as a program officer at the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Gonzales was one of the original seventeen that founded SACNAS 47 years ago. In 2018, Dr. Gonzales shared his wisdom with the community during the special 45th anniversary founders panel at the SACNAS National Diversity in STEM Conference. He also wrote the inspiring “Hidden Figures” story of his sister, Amy Gonzales for STEM + Culture Chronicle.

Today, we call on the community to share stories, photos, and other memories that will be used to honor and celebrate the life and contributions of Dr. Gonzales.

Starting with just 50 members at SACNAS’ founding in 1972, Dr. Gonzales was critical to establishing the mission and vision for our society. Today we stand 8,200+ strong, knowing his legacy will continue through each of us and our collective progress toward True Diversity in STEM.