ANGELA PATRICIA PEREZ

President of the RAC - Reed of Astronomy of Colombia

is an expert in education and astronomy with extensive experience in science outreach. She has designed educational proposals for preschool and primary schools and has worked in the coordination of astronomy at the Medellin Planetarium. She is president of the Colombian Astronomy Network and has published several books on astronomy. She is also a teacher of astronomy, astrophysics and education. She has worked in the management of astronomy outreach strategies and projects and is a contact person for Universe Awareness in Colombia.

FERNANDO RUIZ

Professor Fernando Ruiz is a STEAM educator and senior lecturer at Oakland Colegio Campestre, as well as the Chief Communications Officer for the Colombia Space School Program. For more than a decade, she has led educators and students at the Space Center, creating programs to connect international communities from the classroom. He has invited Colombian students and faculty to participate in apprenticeship programs in the United States and has integrated STEAM activities into every class at her school to inspire students of all ages. During the pandemic, she engaged teachers and students from nine countries in space challenges and competitions. Ruiz is a member of several space educational organizations and has received numerous awards, including First Commander of the Liberty 1 Mission. He is an advocate for continuous learning and inspiration for future generations.

ALEJANDRA RUIZ

Oakland Colegio Campestre.

She began her journey as a student, then mentor and finally teacher and SEEC presenter. Her greatest inspiration are her children and her son, to whom she tries to transmit her knowledge in diverse and dynamic ways, to contribute to make happiness and motivation an important part of their learning process from preschool, enriching and increasing motivation and curiosity to learn. In addition, her commitment has allowed her to successfully lead international teams not only in the SEEC, but also in other areas, such as the “Lunch and Learn” days with the Kennedy Space Center, and to be the creator of NASA-approved guides that have been used in different schools in Colombia and the United States. Her motto is “will is power” and, since studying at the university, she has combined her studies with her work as a teacher. She began studying advertising and design because she thought she was not capable of following the path of her parents, educators, but her life took an unexpected turn: she had to replace a preschool teacher and, from that day on, she became passionate about education. Today, she applies her design skills in her classes.

IVAN RODRIGUEZ

Ceo of Glocal Advantange

Vice President of the Board of Directors of Space Center Houston

GABBY BAPTISTA

Gabby Baptista is a Venezuelan-Colombian film and television producer based in Houston, Texas. She studied Social Communication and Executive Production in film. After a 14-year migration process, she founded her production company “Vibra Latina” in 2019. She has produced more than 190 reports, 2 documentaries and 5 short films, including “Closer to the Stars” and “Victims”. His company focuses on issues such as children's rights, human trafficking prevention and family values. She collaborates with Space Center Houston and Mission Liberty, and has been recognized as “Latina Woman of the Year” in 2024 by the Ecuadorian American Chamber of Commerce.

NUBIA DEL CARMEN MENA MURILLO

Nubia del Carmen Mena Murillo is an educator with a bachelor's degree in Mathematics, Physics and Statistics, and a master's degree in Didactics of Mathematics and Experimental Sciences. She has been a teacher for 22 years at I.E Javiera Londoño in Medellín, Colombia, teaching physics and leading an astronomy seedbed. In addition, she has participated as a teacher in STEM/STEAM programs, such as PhET Simulations, and has been recognized as a Physics Fellowship Teacher by the RIED-OAS in Colombia. She has also taught at the University of Antioquia.

Mena Murillo has led her students to participate in several international activities, including challenges such as the "International Astronomical Search Collaboration" and the "Lunar Loo Challenge NASA". As a science communicator, she is a member of communities such as MAE (Maestros Amigos de Explora) of the Explora Park and Planetarium in Medellín, where she promotes collaborative learning in STEM and is an ambassador of the AstroMae community, dedicated to the teaching of astronomy.

Among her achievements, her participation in the Space Exploration Educators Conference (SEEC) at Space Center Houston in 2023, and her election as a member of the SEEC CREW in 2024, being part of the first Latin American group called "Misión Libertad", stand out.

OSCAR FABIAN NEIRA

Oscar is a Colombian educator with a solid academic background and experience in language teaching. His passion for education led him to study languages in Tunja, Boyacá, with the conviction that education is the key to inspire society and languages are the gateway to cultural transformation. After teaching English as a foreign language and working as a translator, he decides to move to Houston, Texas, in 2018, seeking new professional opportunities.

In Houston, Oscar faces an unfamiliar environment to continue his career as an educator, but finds a new direction by joining Space Center Houston as an education instructor. Thanks to his previous experience and translation skills, Oscar begins to lead education programs in Spanish and expand the audience for these programs with new initiatives. His role in the organization grows as his expertise is required to reach new audiences.

Currently, Oscar serves as an international program specialist for Space Center Houston's education department. He is in charge of international outreach projects in Latin America, leading inclusive, diverse and accessible STEM programs. In addition, he supports other science and leadership programs offered by Space Center Houston, standing out for his expertise in academic training, leadership mentoring and inclusion.

RICARDO LEON SANCHEZ ORTEGA

is a Colombian educator with a solid background in technology and computer science. Since 2006, he has been a teacher at the Academic Educational Institution in Cartago, leading projects in astronomy teaching and STEAM education. Noted for his participation in NASA's Space Exploration Educators Conference in 2020, he has driven changes in the pedagogical model of his institution. Nationally and internationally recognized, he has received awards for his contribution to education. As commander of educational missions, he seeks to motivate other teachers to train and collaborate to improve the quality of education in Colombia.

Andrés Eloy Araujo

Andrés Araujo es un ingeniero civil venezolano con una pasión por la conexión entre tecnología e ingeniería. Actualmente es el Coordinador de Programas en Español del Space Center Houston de la NASA, donde lidera y coordina programas educativos y eventos para el público hispanohablante, promoviendo el interés en carreras STEM y la exploración espacial.

Antes de unirse a la NASA, Andrés trabajó como ingeniero civil en diversos proyectos de infraestructuras urbanas y ambientales, enfocándose en la aplicación innovadora de la tecnología para resolver desafíos de ingeniería y mejorar la calidad de vida en las comunidades.

Andrés tiene una sólida formación académica en ingeniería civil de la Universidad José Antonio Páez en Venezuela. Su experiencia y habilidades lo han llevado a ser un profesional destacado en su campo, con un enfoque en la innovación y el desarrollo de infraestructuras sostenibles.