Ramón E. López facts for kids

Ramón E. López (born around 1959) is a Puerto Rican physics professor. He teaches at the University of Texas at Arlington. His main work is in space physics and helping people learn about science.

Professor López is a respected scientist. He was chosen as a fellow of the American Physical Society in 1999. In 2002, he won the Dwight Nicholson Medal for Outreach because he helped so many people learn about science. He also became a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2011.

He helped start a fun, hands-on science program for elementary and middle school kids in Maryland. He also wrote a book called Storms from the Sun. This book talks about space weather, like how the Sun's magnetic fields and solar wind can affect Earth's magnetic shield.

Ramón López's Early Life and Education

Ramón López was born in Illinois. His parents were from Puerto Rico. His dad was a doctor in the United States Army, and his mom was a teacher.

When he was a kid, his dad gave him a telescope. This gift, along with watching the Apollo 11 Moon landing in 1969, made him want to study space physics. When he was in sixth grade, his family moved to Freeport, Illinois. Later, they moved again, and he went to Pearl City High School. There, his science teacher taught him a bit about computer programming, which also inspired him.

López went to the University of Illinois in 1976. He earned a degree in Physics in 1980. While studying, he helped with science demonstrations and wrote for the school newspaper. He then received a special scholarship to attend Rice University in Houston. He studied Space Physics and Astronomy there. He earned his Master's in 1984 and his Ph.D. (a very high degree) in space physics in 1986.

Ramón López's Career in Science

After finishing his studies, Professor López worked as a scientist for a company called Applied Research Corporation from 1985 to 1992.

In 1992, he started working at the University of Maryland. He held several important roles there. During this time, he worked closely with schools in Montgomery County, Maryland. He helped them create a hands-on science program for younger students. This program made science more exciting and easier to understand for kids.

From 1993 to 1999, Professor López was the Director of Education and Outreach Programs for The American Physical Society. Later, he became the head of the Physics Department at the University of Texas at El Paso. In 2002, he received the Nicholson Medal for his great service to science.

He also helped organize a big conference for physics teachers in 2003. He is a co-director for a group called the Center for Integrated Space Weather Modeling (CISM). This group studies space weather and helps more people get involved in science. In 2004, he moved to the Florida Institute of Technology. Then, in 2007, he joined the Department of Physics at the University of Texas at Arlington.

Ramón López's Space Research

Professor López's research focuses on how the Sun's wind affects Earth's magnetic field. He studies space weather, which is how conditions in space can impact Earth. He looks at things like magnetic storms and substorms. These are times when energy from the Sun's wind gets stored in Earth's magnetic tail and then suddenly released.

His work helps us understand the Sun's magnetic properties and how they create solar wind. He leads a team that studies both space physics and how to teach science better. In 2002, Professor López and Michael Carolwicz wrote a popular book together. It's called Storms from the Sun: The Emerging Science of Space Weather.

Ramón López's Scientific Writings

Professor López has written many scientific papers. Here are some of them:

• Predicting Magnetopause Crossings at Geosynchronous Orbit During the Halloween Storms, Space Weather, 5, S01005, ; 2007; R. E. López, S. Hernandez, M. Wiltberger, C.-L. Huang, E. L. Kepko, H. Spence, C. C. Goodrich, and J. G. Lyon.
• Using Space Physics in Undergraduate Electromagnetism Courses; 2007; López, R. E.
• Active Learning for Advanced Students: The Center for Integrated Space Weather Modeling Graduate Summer School; 2007; López, R. E. and N. A. Gross; .
• Field-Aligned Currents in the Polar Cap During Saturation of the Polar Cap Potential, J. Atmos. Sol. Terr. Phys.; R. E. López, S. Hernandez, K. Hallman, R. Valenzuela, J. Seiler, P. Anderson, and M. Hairston (2007).
• The role of magnetosheath force balance in regulating the dayside reconnection potential, J. Geophys. Res., 115, A12216, ; 2007; R. E. López, R. Bruntz, E. J. Mitchell, M. Wiltberger, J. G. Lyon, and V. G. Merkin (2010).
• The Impact of Stereo Display on Student Understanding of Phases of the Moon, Astronomy Education Review, 9, 010105, ; 2007; X. Cid and R. E. López (2010).

Groups Ramón López Belongs To

Professor López is a member of several important scientific groups:

• American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT)
• American Geophysical Union (AGU)
• American Physical Society (APS)
• National Society of Hispanic Physicists (NSHP)
• Soc. for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS)

See also

• List of Puerto Ricans
• Puerto Rican scientists and inventors