Earth & Space
Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz named president of Astronomical Society of the Pacific
UC Santa Cruz astrophysicist is the first Latino president in society’s 135-year history
Professor Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz (Credit: Astronomical Society of the Pacific)
The Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP) has named University of California, Santa Cruz, Professor Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz as the first Latino president of its board of directors in the organization’s 135-year history. Ramirez-Ruiz holds the Vera Rubin Presidential Chair of Astronomy and Astrophysics at UC Santa Cruz.
The appointment adds to a growing list of honors for Ramirez-Ruiz since he joined UC Santa Cruz’s faculty in 2007. They include a Packard Fellowship, the NSF CAREER Award, the Bouchet Award from the American Physical Society, and the HEAD Mid-Career Prize from the American Astronomical Society. In 2020, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and two years later, he received the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring.
“To become a leader of a community of educators and astronomers that includes some of the country’s leading thinkers—people who have shaped the field in recognizable ways—is at once humbling and incredibly motivating,” Ramirez-Ruiz said. “I am transported by the thought of collaborating with innovative thinkers, leaders, and educators to advance the Astronomical Society of the Pacific’s mission and excited at the prospect of contributing in meaningful and impactful ways.”
The society was founded in 1889 by Lick Observatory’s first director, Edward Holden. ASP’s founding members and officers were all from the San Francisco Bay Area, but the society soon grew into a national and international organization. Some of the world’s most respected astronomers have served as board presidents, including James Keeler (1900), Edwin Hubble (1933), Frank Drake (1989), Alexei Filippenko (2001), Kelsey Johnson (2019), and Derrick Pitts (2023).
For over 14 years, Ramirez-Ruiz has built STEM training research programs, and his mentees encompass over two hundred students, postdoctoral fellows, and junior faculty. In addition to his record of success as a research adviser, the mentoring program he created, Lamat (“star” in Mayan), has been remarkably successful at increasing the number of historically marginalized (HM) students who earn Ph.D.s in astrophysics.
Women and HM students comprise 83% of the 145 Lamat participants since its inception in 2010. Ramirez-Ruiz personally mentored 35 Lamat students and 39 graduate and postdoctoral fellows in his group. Twelve won NASA postdoctoral fellowships, the most prestigious in the field, and 19 are now professors. Together with Lamat, he has trained half of all HM students receiving astronomy Ph.D.s in the country in the past five years.
“I am confident that I can help co-create a successful future for the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, given its talented staff,” Ramirez-Ruiz said.
The mission of the nonprofit ASP is to use astronomy to increase the understanding and appreciation of science and to advance science and science literacy. The society connects scientists, educators, amateur astronomers and the public together to learn about astronomical research, improve astronomy education, and share resources that engage learners of all kinds in the excitement and adventure of scientific discovery.