SACNAS Biography Project

Making Role Models Visible

You can be what you can’t see…it’s just a lot harder… That’s why we started the SACNAS Biography Project–an online archive of first-person stories by and about Chicano/Hispanic and Native American scientists with advanced degrees in science.

Those scientists and engineers are just like you. Some of them were always excellent students, from grade school through college. Others got B’s and some just got average grades. A number of them explain how they wandered around. focusing on one subject and then another, until they discovered what they wanted to do. SACNAS realizes that role models play an important role in encouraging students to choose one path over another. These biographies will hopefully serve as positive role models for all.
william velez
Dr. William Yslas Vélez
Founder of the SACNAS Biography Project, Past President of SACNAS, Professor Emeritus, University of Arizona

The Biographies

Ethnicity:

Discipline:

Biography Project Interviews

Visit our YouTube playlist to watch interviews with some of our featured biography members.

Watch Interviews

Joining + Updating the Project

Are you one of the features in the biography project? Submit updates to your biography using our change form.

Are you interested in being featured in the biography project? Please fill out our application form.

Credits

Biographies are written in collaboration with the narrators. Contributors to the project include: Rachel Barron, Cassandra Brooks, Sandra Boer, Natalie Bulkely, Meredith Conatti, Sylvia de la Sancha, Stacy Hartman, Alexander Huie, Marisa Mercado, Jenny Kurzweil, Jason Shaw, Mary Van Note, William Yslas Vélez, Heidi Williams