Jorge Colón presents Judith Martínez (center), a high school chemistry teacher from the Notre Dame Catholic School in Caguas, Puerto Rico, the first Lucy Gaspar Award for Excellence in Science Education. Gaspar (right) an educator and long-time Caribbean Division secretary-treasurer, has been deeply involved in the island’s science education and teacher training efforts.

Judith Martínez, a high school chemistry teacher from the Notre Dame Catholic School in Caguas, Puerto Rico, who won the first Lucy Gaspar Award for Excellence in Science Education. Martínez received a one-year AAAS membership, a medallion, a $500 prize and a $500 donation for activities that involve students. The award is named for Lucy Gaspar, an educator and long-time Caribbean Division secretary-treasurer, who has been deeply involved in the island’s science education and teacher training efforts.

Bárbara Casañas, a graduate student from the Chemistry Department of the Río Piedras Campus of the University of Puerto Rico, won the Robert I. Larus award in the Division’s annual graduate students' poster competition. The award consisted of $500 and the opportunity to present her poster at the AAAS Annual Meeting in February 2010 in San Diego, California, with all expenses paid by the Caribbean Division.

José A. Franco, a graduate student from the Department of Psychiatry of the Medical Sciences Campus of the University of Puerto Rico, came in second place in the Robert I. Larus competition. He received a $300 prize.