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An award-winning nonprofit co-founded by a Yale astronomer creates opportunities in astrophysics for students from Central America and the Caribbean.

By Jim Shelton

June 21, 2024

When he’s not searching for links between black holes and galaxy formation, astrophysicist Antonio Porras Valverde likes to build bridges between young scientists from marginalized communities and the wider world of academia.

Porras Valverde, a Heising-Simons postdoctoral fellow in Yale’s Department of Astronomy, is co-founder of Cenca Bridge Inc., a nonprofit that organizes mentorship programs, conducts professional development workshops, and seeks out remote research opportunities for college undergraduates from Central America and the Caribbean who are interested in astrophysics. Begun in 2016, Cenca Bridge now has more than 100 undergraduate students participating in its programs.

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) recently awarded Cenca Bridge with its Astronomy Development Prize, which honors individuals and organizations that use astronomy as a tool for development and capacity-building, especially in underserved regions.

“Cenca Bridge is a well-conceived and well-executed platform for remote astronomy research and has paved the way for an impressive number of opportunities for aspiring astrophysicists across Central America and the Caribbean who have had very few opportunities before,” IAU noted in its announcement of the prize. “Its students apply successfully to graduate programmes worldwide, not only in astronomy but also in other STEM subjects."

“In addition to advancing the frontiers of astrophysical research, Cenca Bridge has also fostered a culture of collaboration, mentorship, and inclusivity within the astronomical community.”

Porras Valverde was born in Florida, grew up in Costa Rica, and returned to the United States as a teenager. He says there were rough patches as he adjusted to academia and the world of science research; that was part of his personal motivation for helping to launch Cenca Bridge (the group’s formal name is The Central American Caribbean Bridge in Astrophysics).

“I’ve grown more confident in the way I do science," he said. "And part of that was because I found a community. I found people who supported me. That kept me going.”

Porras Valverde spoke with Yale News about Cenca Bridge, his research, and his thoughts on mentorship. This interview has been edited and condensed.

Did you want to be a scientist when you were growing up?

Antonio Porras Valverde: I grew up in San Jose, Costa Rica wanting to be a soccer player. It never occurred to me I could be a scientist because I never met one in real life. My high school math teacher motivated me to participate in Math Olympics competitions. It was that — along with a fascination for understanding humanity’s origin and purpose — that led me to study the universe.

What research are you working on here at Yale?

Porras Valverde: I am a theorist in galaxy formation with interest in black holes. I am working on understanding how supermassive black holes grow in such a short period of time. My Ph.D. work centered on the connection between galaxies and their dark matter halos but the more I learned from galaxies, the better I appreciated the existence of massive black holes.

Recent discoveries with the James Webb Space Telescope are revolutionizing our understanding of the co-evolution between black holes and galaxies. My work focuses on modeling black hole growth implementing physics that we think are happening in the real universe.

Let’s talk about your academic journey. What was your first experience with scientific research?

Porras Valverde: After finishing high school at age 16, I moved to the U.S. to study English. I began taking English as Second Language [ESL] courses at Northern Virginia Community College where I also took my first calculus and classical mechanics courses.

Before transferring to University North Carolina at Chapel Hill [UNC] as an undergrad ,I completed Research Experience Undergraduate [REU] internship University Toledo studying diffuse molecular clouds interstellar medium .This first time exposed astronomy research .

I had been thinking about astronomy research Hollywood way— it was looking into telescopes didn’t know math programming big part it .Jargon scientific references felt overwhelming first tasks imagined knew found place .

What was your biggest challenge?

Porras Valverde: During my first semester UNC failed multivariable calculus electromagnetism ashamed fail math course decided switch major needed re-assure myself within year getting A's began fluid dynamics modeling jellyfish swimming using codes solving Naiver-Stokes equations .

My last year undergraduate another chance got accepted National Astronomy Consortium summer internship National Radio Observatory [NRAO]. There decided change career path once again learned Fisk-Vanderbilt Master’s-to-Ph.D.Bridge program where STEM students underrepresented backgrounds opportunity obtain master prepare them PhD completed physics masters Fisk University later Ph.D.astrophysics Vanderbilt University .

How did you get involved with Cenca Bridge?

Porras Valverde: For long time battled trying make work significant general public does studying contribute solving issues like climate change poverty ?

My best solution use computational educational skills teach transferable skills may help land better job began mentoring own eventually networking colleagues elsewhere four us co-lead Hurtado[Ph.D.student Washington Nicaragua], Yahira Mendoza Moncada[master student Federal Rio Janeiro Honduras], Gloria Fonseca Alvarez[postdoctoral NOIRLab U.S.National Science Foundation Optical-Infrared Laboratory Nicaragua] passionate bringing education region .

How do you go about this work?

Porras Valverde: We build support through peer mentorship highlighting role models paid internships only organization financially supports remote internships Central America Caribbean .

Who are some role models mentors ?

Porras Valverde : One source motivation see pattern life number strong women taken wing includes grandmother mother undergraduate adviser Laura Miller ,Ph.D.advisor Kelly Holley-Bockelmann .Now Priya Natarajan Meg Urry

And now award-winning model feel ?

Valverde nonlinear academic path social upbringing provides many ways connect students late American Chicana feminist scholar Gloria Anzaldúa mentioned connected motto cannot prioritize discoveries ignoring humanity people work .

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