Pedro Rodriguez (NASA)
Dr. Pedro Rodriguez, Ph.D., (born
1953 in
Brooklyn, New York), is the Director of a test laboratory at
NASA and inventor of a portable, battery-operated lift seat for people suffering from knee
arthritis.
Pedro Rodriguez was born to the renowned
Puerto Rican salsa singer,
Pellin Rodriguez and Elba Lopez Perez, who met in New York while Pellin's band was touring. Pedro is the first of three children for the couple. As a child, Pedro was always surrounded by musical instruments and by personalities from the entertainment world. He wanted to become a musician like his father, but his father objected because he wanted Pedro to get a college education. The family settled in the city of
Bayamon, Puerto Rico. There, young Pedro started to become more interested in the field of science than in the field of music. During his school years, he excelled in the subjects of math and science. In
1971, Rodriguez graduated from La Salle High School with honors.
Pedro enrolled in the
University of Puerto Rico and changed majors four times before deciding to become an engineer. He studied in that institution's engineering campus located in the city of
Mayaguez. He earned a
bachelors degree in
mechanical engineering in
1976. That same year, recruiters from NASA were conducting interviews at the campus. He was hired by NASA as an engineer, designing special test equipment at the
Marshall Space Flight Center in
Alabama. Since then, Rodriguez has held several positions at NASA.
Rodriguez enrolled in the
University of Alabama to pursue a
masters degree. While pursuing his masters, Rodriguez moved to
Florida and worked on jet engines for NASA contractor Pratt & Whitney, a United Technologies company. He earned his masters degree in mechanical engineering in
1986. In
1997, he earned his doctorate in
civil engineering, from the
University of Mississippi.
Rodriguez was the leader of the Solid Rocket Booster accident investigation team following the
Space Shuttle Columbia accident in February
2003 and was also the project manager for the Space Launch Initiative program. Rodriguez is currently the Director of the test laboratory in the Engineering Directorate at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. He is responsible for the engineering services and facilities for environmental, structural, and propulsion testing of NASA programs assigned to the Marshall Space Flight Center. Among his duties are: research, development, qualification, and acceptance testing of critical space and flight hardware, as well as the testing of relevant development hardware.
Among the awards and recognitions bestowed upon Rodriguez are: NASA's Exceptional Service Medal, NASA Inventors Award, the
Silver Snoopy Award, and The Marshall Center Directors Commendation Award as "Outstanding Hispanic Employee". The Puerto Rican Senate recognized Dr. Rodriguez with a resolution marking his engineering achievement.
Dr. Rodriguez is a member of the
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and of the
American Society of Civil Engineers. He currently resides in
Huntsville, Alabama, with his wife and two children.
*
List of famous Puerto Ricans*
Puerto Ricans in NASA
