Rodrigo Fernós
EDUCATION
2011 Ph. D. Universidad de Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras. Depto. de Historia.
1997 M.A. Universidad de Minnesota, Minneapolis. Depto. de Historia de la Ciencia
Thesis: On the Colonial Encounter of Medical Systems and the Image of Africa: Sir Hans Sloane, Edward Long, and Slaves in British Jamaica.
1990 B. A. Universidad de Texas, Austin. Depto. de Historia.
Concentration: History, Literature.
1986-1987 Brandeis University (Waltham, Massachusetts).
Concentration: History of ideas.
PUBLICATIONS
Newspaper articles
“UPR doctor conducts research on malaria” San Juan Star, August 8, 2001, p 20.
“The science policy of small nations” San Juan Star, August 17, 2001, p. 80.
“The true language of science is english”, San Juan Star, August 29, 2001, p. 23.
“Spirit of science lacking in P.R. museums” San Juan Star, September 10, 2001, p. 20.
“Supernovas & neutrinos: From tiny to vast” San Juan Star, September 28, 2001, p. 57.
“The Virtual Library: Sen. Margarita Ostolaza Critique” San Juan Star, 2002.
Academic articles
“The Social Factors Affecting the Diffusion of Parasitology to Puerto Rico and Hong Kong.” Puerto Rico Health Sciences Journal 20, 4 (December 2001), 367-375.
Book reviews
Review of Global Broadband Battles: Why the U.S. and Europe Lag while Asia Leads (Edited by Martin Fransman, Stanford University Press, 2006; 300pp.; ISBN: 0804753059; $75.00). Science and Public Policy 34, 7 (August 2007), pp. 529-537.
Cyber-editorials (606 total; www.rodrigofernos.org ; www.ictal.org)
“ ‘Elementary, my dear Watson’ : On Contemporary Scandals about Evolution, Cognition, and Race” (Oct. 22, 2007)
“A ciencia cierta: Susan, Omar y la meteorología en Puerto Rico” (Oct. 18, 2008)
“Raul Prebisch, ECLAC, and Economic History” (Oct 22, 2006)
“The Air Conditioner and The End of the World” (Feb. 20, 2006)
“The lack of science archives in Puerto Rico” (May 18, 2005)
“ El problema de la autonomía institucional y su impacto en la política de investigación y desarrollo” (Jan. 13, 2005)
Presentations in academic conferences
Presentation of book written by Leyda Melián, La segunda carta (2021), Instituto de Cultura.
Commentator on Panel “Experiencias en la Conservación del Patrimonio Histórico en las Ciencias de la Salud”, March 26, 2009, in the conference “Iniciativas de Investigación Histórica y Desarrollo de Museos y Archivos en las Ciencias de la Salud, Recinto de Ciencias Médicas, 24 al 27 de marzo, 2009”
“Tecnología y Comunicación: Entre la línea dura y la línea suave”. Lecture presented at the conference “Pensar la comunicación en un nuevo milenio en Puerto Rico: II encuentro de investigadores en comunicación ” , School of Commnication, University of Puerto Rico, (Rio Piedras branch), April 2008.
“Of Cultural Affinities and Social Transformations: Chilean Catholicism and French Science in the Nineteenth Century.” Lecture presented at the ILASSA conference, University of Texas (Austin), March 1998.
Books
Amistad y Progreso: Los Congresos Científicos Pan Americanos, 1898-1916. (Aventine: 2003), 280 pp.
Science Stillborn: The Rise and Impact of the Pan-American Scientific Congresses, 1898-1916. (iUniverse: 2003), 274 pp.
Medicine and International Relations in the Caribbean: Some Historical Variants. (iUniverse: 2006), 278 pp.
En Busca del fénix: La ciencia y su historia en América Latina. (AuthorHouse: 2006), 476 pp.
Gonzalo Fernós Maldonado y El Espacio para la Ciencia en Puerto Rico (Xlibris: 2013), 295 pp.
From Galileo to Boltzmann: A History of the Fragility and Resilience of Science (Virtualbookworm: 2016). 400 pp
Science and Sovereignty: Western Ideas about Science and Nation and their Expression in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean (VirtualBookworm, 2021), 377 pp.
Atomic Surfer: La difusión y el desarrollo del surfing en Puerto Rico (Editorial Eray, 2021), 209 pp.
ORGANIZATIONS
Instituto de la Ciencia y Tecnología en América Latina (www.ictal.org)
Organization founded by Fernós in 2001, website established on November 2002. By 2008, the site contained more than 3,500 articles and editorials, with more than 80 videotaped conferences containing some 500 lectures. Google page rank of 6. Institutional links to the Arecibo Observatory, the Sierra Club of Puerto Rico, ACEER (Alianza Ciudadana para la Educación en Energía Renovable), the Luis Muñoz Marín Foundation, and the Society of Planification in Puerto Rico, amongst others.
WEBSITES
Archivo Gonzalo Fernós López (www.gonzalofernoslopez.com)
Digital archive of public papers of Architect/Lawyer Gonzalo Fernós López. Fernós Lopez designed the first parking building in Puerto Rico, initiated legal precedent in the Puerto Rico Supreme Court, and fought numerous environmental battles. 101 GB, 100,000 pages. 2013.
Gonzalo Fernós Maldonado and the Space for Science (www.gonzalofernosmaldonado.com)
Companion website to book “G. Fernós Maldonado y El Espacio para la Ciencia en Puerto Rico”, compiling the majority of of photographs, architectural designs, and interviews obtained while researching the book. Family history, professional development, structures built are some of the pieces of information found therein. 2012.
Archivo ICTAL (archivo.ictal.org)
Digital repository of 130+ conferences and nearly 1,000 lecturers on science, technology, and medicine related topics in Latin America nad Puerto Rico. Material dating between 2003 and 2017 is included in a wide range of audio and video formats.
Colecciones ICTAL (colecciones.ictal.org)
Digital repository of digitized primary sources pertaining to history of science in Latin America and Puerto Rico. Topics covered in the repository include the Pan American Scientific Congresses, the Puerto Rico Telephone Company, Bailey K. Ashford, Gonzalo Fernós López, and the Peynado and Peynado lawfirm. More than 60,000 sheets of documentation included.
Biblioteca de la Ciencia Hispánica en Estados Pequeños (biblioteca.ictal.org)
Compendium of bibliographic resources related to the scientific and technological activity in small states or islands that are or were a part of the Hispanic colonial world. B-CHEP is divided into 25 collections and 74 identifiers. Uses the OMEKA platform.
Libros ICTAL (libros.ictal.org)
Compendium of bibliographic resources related to the scientific and technological activity in Latin America and the Caribbean, with emphasis on books published during the prior year. Uses the Word Press platform, along with S2memberhsip and other add-ons to facilitate the user’s searches. Avariuos subscription levels are available according to the user’s budget; from one day to one year.
MEMBERSHIPS
History of Science Society (HSS)
Society for the History of Technology (SHOT)
American Historical Association (AHA)
Sierra Club of Puerto Rico
Surfrider de Puerto Rico
WORK EXPERIENCE (abr.)
Professor, Honors Program, University of Puerto Rico (Rio Piedras) 2017-2020
Professor, Biology Department, Natural Sciences Faculty, University of Puerto Rico (Rio Piedras) 2018
Associate Professor, Physics Department, Natural Sciences Faculty, University of Puerto Rico (Rio Piedras) 2015-
Independent Researcher, Instituto de Estudios del Caribe, University of Puerto Rico (Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico) 2013-2014.
Researcher, History Department, University of Puerto Rico (Rio Piedras), 2010.
Instructor, History Department, InterAmerican University (Cupey, Puerto Rico). 2011-2013.
Researcher, History Department, University of Puerto Rico (Río Piedras, Puerto Rico), 2008-2010.
Administrator, Chula Vista properties, San Antonio Texas. 2007.
Instructor, History Department, University of Puerto Rico (Río Piedras, Puerto Rico), 2002-2006.
Medical transcriptionist, ARTEXT, (San Juan, Puerto Rico), 2003-4.
Salesman, Island Computer, (San Juan, Puerto Rico), 2002.
VOLUNTEER WORK
Graphic artist, Centenary of Robinson School, Alumni Association (Santurce, PR) 2002.
Webpage designer, Various, 2001-2010.
Video digital processing, Various, 2003-2008.
Board of Directors, Asoc. Cond. El Monte Norte, 2005, 2017
Book Editor, 2017-2019
COURSES
• Science and Sovereignty, University of Puerto Rico (Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico)
• Biology and Ethics. (University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras)
• Naturalists of the Hispanic Colonial Period. (University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras)
• History of the Scientific Revolution. University of Puerto Rico (Rio Piedras)
• History of the United States and Puerto Rico. InterAmerican University.
• History of Puerto Rico 1800-2000. InterAmerican University.
• World Civilization, -1500. InterAmerican University.
• History of International Relations between the United States and Latin America
•History of Science in Latin America. University of Puerto Rico (Río Piedras, Puerto Rico).
•United States History, 1492-1865. University of Puerto Rico (Río Piedras, PR).
• United States History, 1865-Present. University of Puerto Rico (Río Piedras, PR).
•English as a second language. Politécnic University (Hato Rey, Puerto Rico). 1991.
REFERENCES
Available upon request