Ramon E. Lopez

Ramon E. Lopez received his B.S. in Physics in 1980 from the University of Illinois, and his M.S. and Ph.D. in Space Physics in 1982 and 1986, respectively, from Rice University. He holds a half-time appointment as Associate Research Scientist in the Department of Astronomy at the University of Maryland, College Park, and a half-time position as Director of Education and Outreach for The American Physical Society (APS). His current research focuses on magnetospheric substorms and the structure and dynamics of the aurora. He has authored or co-authored 57 scientific publications, and authored 8 non-scientific publications. Dr. Lopez is active in science education reform both locally and nationally. He has served as a consultant for the Howard County and Montgomery County school districts in Maryland, for Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia, Discovery Communications Inc., the National Science Resources Center, and others. Dr. Lopez is a member of the American Geophysical Union's (AGU) Committee on Education and Human Resources, chair of the AGU's Space Physics and Aeronomy's (SPA) Education Committee, and a member of the SPA Public Information Committee. Dr. Lopez is currently a Co-Investigator on the Electric Space project to produce a major (3800 sq. ft.) travelling museum exhibition about the space environment, and Co-P.I. on a program to organize a series of workshops on science education reform for space scientists. At the APS he is organizing a program called the Teacher-Scientist Alliance Institute to mobilize scientists in support of systemic reform of science education in sites around the country.

    Ramon Lopez                          Phone:  301/405-2851
    Dept. of Astronomy                     FAX:  301/405-9966
    University of Maryland               Email:  lopez@avl.umd.edu
    College Park, MD  20742