An inventor, a research scientist, and an astronaut. Sounds like a member of the comic book team, The Fantastic Four, but in fact it’s the biography of inventor, scientist, and astronaut Ellen Ochoa.

Ochoa, who received a BS in physics from San Diego State University and a doctorate in electrical engineering from Stanford, co-invented an optical system that can detect imperfections in repeating patterns. Patented in 1987, its uses include quality control in the manufacturer of highly intricate parts. Dr. Ochoa also shared a patent as a co-inventor on an optical system that can be used in robotically making products, as well as a system that helps to remove unwanted visual information in images.

Print on Demand Technology and Instabook Maker

         Born in Mexico City, Mexico in July, 1957, Victor Celorio realized at a young age that reading played a fundamental role in a person's success and well being.  Enjoying a love affair with the printed word beginning in his early childhood, Celorio knew he wanted to be a writer from the time he was 10 years old and published his first short story at the age of 14 in a magazine called Al Sur del Sur. But growing up in Mexico, a country which is famous for its lack of bookstores, Celorio suffered a permanent hunger for books. Growing into adulthood, Celorio became fascinated with the idea of making books readily available and more affordable by reducing the costs traditionally associated with publishing.  The problem with publishing as Celorio saw it was actually found in the distribution system. Typically, a book retailer orders the number of books it thinks it can sell. But should the title prove to be popular, the store may not be able to order more if the publisher's inventory is depleted. Alternately, small stores can't afford to keep slow moving titles in stock.  With these thoughts in mind, the idea for Print on Demand technology was born.

AcceleGlove

Born in the state of Puebla, Mexico, Dr. José Hernandez-Rebollar, Ph.D. is a young scientist making a reputation as an innovator on a mission. Long before he became a doctoral candidate at George Washington University, Jose Hernandez-Rebollar had wondered about the possibilities of creating a way for deaf people to translate sign language into sound by electronic means.  
    Dr. Hernandez-Rebollar came to the U.S. and George Washington University in 1998 on a Fulbright scholarship, after completing his undergraduate and master's work at University of Puebla, in Mexico. He later worked at the National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics, and Electronics (INAOE), where he was involved in building the antenna control systems for what was to become the largest telescope in the world. He received his Ph.D. at GWU in 2003.
    The transition from Mexico to America was not an easy one for Dr. Hernandez-Rebollar and he has commented that he wished he had learned more English and garnered a greater understanding of other cultures before studying abroad.  Still, Dr. Hernandez-Rebollar persisted and has learned to adapt and thrive in the United States.