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Sixto A. González Edick (born 1965) was the Director of the
Arecibo Observatory The Arecibo Observatory, also known as the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center (NAIC) and formerly known as the Arecibo Ionosphere Observatory, is an observatory in Barrio Esperanza, Arecibo, Puerto Rico owned by the US National Science F ...
from September 29, 2003, to September 15, 2006. Arecibo Observatory was an astronomical observatory located in Puerto Rico. At the time of González's directorship Arecibo was the world's largest single dish
radio telescope A radio telescope is a specialized antenna (radio), antenna and radio receiver used to detect radio waves from astronomical radio sources in the sky. Radio telescopes are the main observing instrument used in radio astronomy, which studies the r ...
. González was the first Puerto Rican in the position of Director of the observatory.


Early years

González was born in
Bayamón, Puerto Rico Bayamón (, ) is a Bayamón barrio-pueblo, city and Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality in Puerto Rico. Located on the northeastern coastal plain, it is bounded by Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, Guaynabo to the east, Toa Alta, Puerto Rico, Toa A ...
. In 1983, he traveled to
Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
. González returned to the island in 1985 and enrolled at the
University of Puerto Rico at Humacao The University of Puerto Rico-Humacao (, UPRH or UPR-Humacao) is a public college in Humacao, Puerto Rico. It is part of the University of Puerto Rico. Its campus is home to the UPRH Astronomical Observatory and the college graduates more majors ...
to study Applied
Physics Physics is the scientific study of matter, its Elementary particle, fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge whi ...
and Electronics, earning his Bachelor of Science degree in 1988. He was accepted at
MIT The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of modern technology and sc ...
. González completed his Ph.D. in 1994 at
Utah State University Utah State University (USU or Utah State) is a public university, public land grant colleges, land-grant research university with its main campus in Logan, Utah, United States. Founded in 1888 under the Morrill Land-Grant Acts as Utah's federal ...
.


Director of the Arecibo Observatory

When González returned to the island, he became the first Puerto Rican member of the scientist staff of
Arecibo Observatory The Arecibo Observatory, also known as the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center (NAIC) and formerly known as the Arecibo Ionosphere Observatory, is an observatory in Barrio Esperanza, Arecibo, Puerto Rico owned by the US National Science F ...
and was named research associate at the observatory. He held this position until 1999 when he was named senior research associate. He and Jose Alonso, educational officer at the observatory, and Maiella Ramos (UPR) created a new program of firsthand research experience in geosciences for high school students and their teachers and for undergraduates in northwest Puerto Rico. In 2001, González was named assistant director for space and atmospheric sciences at the radar facility. On September 29, 2003, González became the first Puerto Rican to be named Director of the observatory. This appointment was made by Robert Brown, director of the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center (NAIC). González was responsible for the overall management of the facility, including the executions of basic policy that maintains the observatory at the front of research in
astronomy Astronomy is a natural science that studies celestial objects and the phenomena that occur in the cosmos. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and their overall evolution. Objects of interest includ ...
, planetary studies and space and atmospheric science. The appointment to the position of site director was for a three-year term and it expired on September 15, 2006. In early 2009, a "Dear Colleague" letter from Dana Lehr announced the following: "NSF will compete the next cooperative agreement for the management and operation of the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center (NAIC) through an open, merit-based review process...." In early June 2011 the National Science Foundation (NSF) announced that the cooperative agreement to manage, operate and maintain the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico for the next five years (from 2011 to 2016) would be awarded to
SRI International SRI International (SRI) is a nonprofit organization, nonprofit scientific research, scientific research institute and organization headquartered in Menlo Park, California, United States. It was established in 1946 by trustees of Stanford Univer ...
. Gonzalez retired as Director for Space and Atmospheric Sciences at the Arecibo Observatory that was part of SRI's Center for Geospace Studies.


Honors

On October 30, 2003, González was honored by the
United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...
when he was publicly congratulated.


See also

*
Puerto Rican scientists and inventors Puerto, a Spanish word meaning ''seaport'', may refer to: Places *El Puerto de Santa María, Andalusia, Spain *Puerto, a seaport town in Cagayan de Oro, Philippines *Puerto Colombia, Colombia *Puerto Cumarebo, Venezuela *Puerto Galera, Oriental Mi ...
* German immigration to Puerto Rico


References


External links


Researcher IDArecibo Observatory - SRI International
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gonzalez, Sixto 1965 births Living people People from Bayamón, Puerto Rico 21st-century Puerto Rican scientists SRI International people Utah State University alumni