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AO News |
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AO Wins NASA Space Grant, Launches “Girls Educating Girls”
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The Girls Educating Girls initiative will provide mentorship and support for young
women enrolled in STEM college programs, who will in return present their research
through online modules to the next generation of students. + Read
More
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Management Updates |
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Status of Telescope Damage Assessment and Repairs Plan
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On August 10th 2020, a Tower 4 auxiliary cable that supports the telescope’s platform experienced a failure that resulted in damage to the telescope’s primary reflector dish and the Gregorian dome. We continue to be as transparent as possible about the ongoing status of repairs to the facility through a series of press releases and emails to you, the AO community; however, the process is slow as we develop the optimal plan for facility repairs while prioritizing the safety of our staff.
Our staff, as well as the external firms we’ve hired, are working diligently to understand the cause of the failure and to return the telescope to normal operations as soon as possible.
We expect to release another official public update on the status of the repairs in early October. You can find our most recent press release here.
To see all previous and future public notifications about ongoing repairs to the telescope, visit our website.
We are extremely grateful for the continued support we’ve received from the AO community.
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Installation of New Water Pump
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In September, the AO maintenance team replaced an obsolete water pump from the
1960s
with a new, efficient water pump to prevent future water damage to the facility’s
equipment. Without an effective pump, heavy rains can cause high water levels in
the
natural sinkhole in which the telescope resides, affecting equipment and
operations.
The new water pump was installed using part of the NSF’s supplementary recovery
award of $2.3M, which was granted to repair damages from Hurricane Maria in 2017
and
mitigate the impact of future storms.
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We have transformed our cafeteria! Since 1963, the AO Cafeteria has provided food
services and generated many good memories for all of our staff, scientific, and
student community. We want it to be a comfortable and inviting space that provides a
feel of warm welcome. We will improve our overall experience with:
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Color: We have chosen colors that will create a nice and relaxing ambiance.
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Lighting: In the eating area, we have created a relaxed and friendly mood, while
adding plenty of light for our kitchen staff to continue to perform their jobs
well.
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Layout: The new floor covering complements the ambiance, and our new floor plan
allows for an easy flow.
Universidad Ana G. Méndez contributed $100,000 for the improvements and renovations.
The cafeteria grand re-opening will be on October 2, 2020.
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STAR Teachers Workshop Provides Virtual Activities & Training for 721 Teachers
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Through a generous donation of $20,000 from the Ángel Ramos Foundation, AO
developed
virtual learning activities and provided eight free professional workshops for
over
700 elementary and middle school STEM teachers across the island of Puerto Rico. + Read
More
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STAR Academy features Astronaut Ellen Ochoa, other STEM speakers
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The AOff STAR Academy launched
its third semester on August 29th! Each
Saturday, invited guests speak with the 33 high school student participants,
including: former astronaut and first Hispanic woman in space, Dr. Ellen Ochoa; host
of the Netflix show Emily’s Wonder Lab, Emily Calandrelli; scientists from across
Puerto Rico, AO staff, and many others! +
Read More
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Sharing the Connection: AO’s Planetary Radar & NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Mission to
Bennu
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Former AO director Dr. Michael Nolan presented a Professional Development Training
Webinar titled “Twenty Years of Bennu: From Arecibo to Orbit (and Home Again),” for
JPL’s Solar System Ambassadors and Museum Alliance, highlighting Arecibo’s role in
understanding the mission’s target asteroid. +
Read More
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Tutorial: How to Build an Asteroid
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AO scientist Dr. Sean Marshall has been leading a series of tutorials for other
planetary scientists, training them to use computer software to develop models of
asteroids using radar data collected by the Arecibo Observatory.
+ Read More
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EDUCATION |
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AO Comic: "Micro Comics"
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Follow along with Greg doing the tasks that the AO team might
find
themselves fulfilling! Through our AO Comics, our readers can
always be up-to-date on what's going on at Arecibo Observatory!
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Why I Love AO Videos
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We celebrate the Arecibo Observatory every day! Learn why our staff love working
at our one-of-a-kind facility. Click here to follow the series of interviews!
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Our New Staff Members |
We are excited to welcome Keysha Gonzalez and Julio Alvarado to the AO team!
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Keysha Gonzalez
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Ms. Gonzalez is a Software Engineer II at the Arecibo Observatory, and is
responsible for software development support, web development for science content,
and
researching cryptocurrency technologies. Ms. Gonzalez has a Bachelor of Science
degree in
Computer Engineering and a minor in Software Engineering from the University of
Puerto Rico
at Mayaguez. She is an active member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics
Engineers (IEEE) and the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM).
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Julio Alvarado
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As Arecibo Observatory’s Big Data Program Manager, Mr. Alvarado will be responsible
for developing and implementing data management, infrastructure improvement
projects, and leading the effort in planning and implementing a cloud-based data
storage
facility for all telescope data. Mr. Alvarado earned his Bachelor’s Degree from the
University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez Campus in Computer Engineering, is certified as
Six Sigma Green Belt, and he is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Engineering
Management.
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Are you actively using Arecibo data for your research? We are looking for scientists
to share their on-going projects with other researchers in order to collaborate and
enhance the return of AO data. Early-career researchers and graduate students are
encouraged to share and participate.
