Last Monday the School of Chemistry at the National Autonomous University of Mexico celebrated 50 years of their modern graduate studies program; as part of the celebrations a formal investiture ceremony for those of us who got our PhD’s after 1990 was organized.

It was a great opportunity to reconect with old friends and teachers, I even got to meet my old high school chemistry teacher, Dr. Salvador Sánchez who in no little way helped me decide to follow chemistry as a career choice, and Dr. Raymundo Cea who was my first thesis director in the first years of this century. The University Rector, Dr. José Narro, gave a speech on the challenges of chemistry in the upcoming years, and Dr. Helgi Jung-Cook spoke about the challenges a PhD student faces and how much rewarding is to finish. Much is yet to be done for the advancement of science in the world and even more in Latin America, but even so UNAM is doing a great effort of keeping a strong base of scientists available for all branches of social development by continuosly supplying the much needed human resources with the highest standards.

In all it was an emotional and inspiring ceremony but above all a fun way to look back to those days in grad school when little happened outside our labs. Thanks to my parents, my sister and my lovely wife and unborn daughter for joining us all in this celebration of Mexican chemistry. (all photo credits: My Dad.)

The old gang
My good friend Dr. Eugenia Aldeco-Pérez
My parents
My good friend Dr. Paula García-Reynaldos and I
My good friend Dr. Paula García-Reynaldos and I
My sister (soon to be) Dr. Janet Barroso and I
My wife and our baby, future doctor!
Building ‘B’ from the Chemistry School
Advertisement