Rodrigo Córdova Rosado, who is in his final year of the Astrophysical Sciences Ph.D. program, has been selected by the Association of Princeton Graduate Alumni (APGA) to receive the APGA Graduate Student Service Award. The award recognizes Ph.D. and Masters students who have made exceptional contributions in service to Princeton University. Rodrigo was nominated for the award by Michael Strauss, Chair, Department of Astrophysical Sciences and J. Kehaulani Kauanui, the Eric and Wendy Schmidt Professor of Indigenous Studies in Anthropology and the Effron Center for the Study of America. Below are excerpts from their nomination case.
“Rodrigo served as a Graduate Teaching Fellow with the Princeton University Preparatory Program for three years. He taught weekly classes and led discussion sessions with local New Jersey high school students from lower-income Black, Latin American, and Middle Eastern communities, supporting their educational journeys to college while growing their reading comprehension, critical analysis, and oratory skills in the classroom.”
“Since 2017, he has continuously been involved in science outreach programs collaborating with local elementary, middle and high schools, and science education programs like the Arecibo Observatory's STEAM Teaching at Arecibo Academy, both in Puerto Rico and on the Osage Nation's reservation (he grew up in Puerto Rico, and he is of Osage ancestry). He developed programming for science outreach both in Spanish and the Osage language Wažáže, supporting classrooms and science literacy efforts.”
“Rodrigo has been a leader on campus in many respects. For years he was actively involved with Natives at Princeton and this year he is head of Native Graduate Students of Princeton (NGSP). Additionally, he is the co-coordinator of the Princeton American Indian and Indigenous Studies Working Group (PAIISWG), which is a workshop space for faculty graduate students, and scholars visiting campus to present works-in-progress. He has hosted the Indigenous Back to School picnic several years in a row, and has represented NGSP & PAIISWG Presence at the Graduate Student Activities Fair.”
Congratulations Rodrigo and thank you for all you have done for the Princeton University community and beyond!