Joaquin Aldabe
Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay
Montevideo, Uruguay
Dear Smithsonian Latino Initiative Fund,
I am writing this letter to express my sincere gratitude for having afforded my participation in the 2004 Research Training Program at the National Museum Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. This program has not only taught me a lot about biology research but it was also a terrific life experience.
The opportunity to do research at the Smithsonian Institution is something that really helped me in building myself a view of how science works. Being immersed in collection tours, lectures, and meetings with prestigious scientists has opened my mind and encouraged me to work with enthusiasm. It was of tremendous value for me to have the opportunity to talk and discuss research topics with so qualified scientists who always were absolutely disposed to help and teach me. Such a close everyday contact made me see the high quality of investigations that are being carried out at the Smithsonian Institution and this encouraged me to do my best in the program as well as in my future research.
Having shared such an experience with United State students was something extremely beneficial for both. I think it was very important for these future researchers to have an idea, through conversations and shared experienced, of how science work in South America as well as the culture. And it was also a terrific opportunity for me to meet and learn from people with similar objectives as me but in other parts of the world.
It is a fact that in South American countries Natural History is not taken with the importance that it deserves. So, there are not enough people prepared to collect, maintain, and study the biodiversity which directly connects to conservation issues - an urgent need to humanity. In this regard the roll of the RTP for South American students is of paramount importance as it not only teaches students about research but also it motivates them to work seriously.
This program has increased by far my enthusiasm for natural history and has stimulated me to carry out research in my country or abroad. And as a volunteer at the Natural History Museum of Uruguay it has encouraged me to help even more intensively. I strongly think that Natural History Museums have a very important roll in society and the RTP made me more aware of this.
Having finished this experience I feel really happy with myself as a biology student and this is a very important point as it is the happiness what make people get their aims. For all this I offer my sincere gratitude.
Sincerely,
Joaquin Aldabe
Research Training Program
Class of `04