Enectali Figueroa

Dr. Enectalí Figueroa, Ph.D. (born 1971) is an Assistant Professor of Physics at MIT, [cite web
url=http://web.mit.edu/physics/facultyandstaff/faculty/tali_figueroa-feliciano.html
title=MIT Physics Faculty: Enectali Figueroa-Feliciano
publisher=Physics Department, MIT
accessdate=2006-11-09] astrophysicist at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) [cite web
url=http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/staff/CVs/Enectali.Figueroa-Feliciano/
title= Dr. Enectali Figueroa-Feliciano
publisher=Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA
accessdate=2006-11-09] who pioneered the development of position-sensitive detectors, and currently an astronaut applicant.

Early years

Figueroa-Feliciano was born in the city of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, which is located on the western coast of the island. After he graduated from high school, he attended the University of Puerto Rico in Mayagüez and, in 1995, earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering.

NASA

Figueroa-Feliciano continued his academic studies at Stanford University, earning a Master's degree (1997) and Doctorate (2001) in physics. While studying at Stanford, Figueroa did his dissertation research at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, as part of the Science Cooperative Education program. Upon his graduation from Stanford, Figueroa-Feliciano became an astrophysicist for the Goddard Space Flight Center. Where he served as the microcalorimeter leader for the Generation-X Vision Mission; and as a member of the following teams: Constellation-X facility science team, Suzaku Observatory science working group, and the X-ray Quantum Calorimeter (XQC) sounding rocket team.

Figueroa-Feliciano pioneered the development of position-sensitive detectors that will provide an order of magnitude more pixels (and thus larger field of view) than traditional single-pixel X-ray microcalorimeters. He has received several NASA awards for the development and demonstration of position-sensitive x-ray microcalorimeters.

He served as President of the Sixth Executive Council of the NASA Academy Alumni Association from August 1, 2003 to December 31, 2004. [ [http://www.nasa-academy.org/org_details_council.html NASA Academy Alumni Association] ] On September 2003, Figueroa-Feliciano was interviewed for the position of Astronaut candidate.

Currently

Figueroa-Feliciano is an Assistant Professor of Physics at MIT. He teaches a relativity class [http://web.mit.edu/8.033 '(8.033)'] to undergraduates there. He is also a volunteer firefighter, a certified diver, member of the Civil Air Patrol and a licensed pilot.

elected publications by Figueroa-Feliciano

Figueroa-Feliciano has contributed to the following publications as author or co-author:
*"Position-sensitive low-temperature detectors," E. Figueroa-Feliciano. Invited review in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A , 520, pp. 496–501, 2004.

*"Cryogenic Microcalorimeters," M. Galeazzi and E. Figueroa-Feliciano. Contributed chapter in X-ray Spectrometry: Recent Technological Advances , John Wiley & Sons, 2004.

*"Position-sensitive transition edge sensor modeling and results," C. Hammock, E. Figueroa-Feliciano, E. Apodaca, S. Bandler, K. Boyce, J. Chervenak, F. Finkbeiner, R. Kelley, M. Lindeman, S. Porter, T. Saab, and C. Stahle. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A , 520, pp. 505–507, 2004.

ee also

*List of notable Puerto Ricans
*Puerto Rican scientists and inventors

Notes

External links

*cite web|url=http://www.uprm.edu/news/articles/as0842003.html
title="Colegiales en la NASA"
author=Margarita Santori López
work=Prensa RUM
date=September 15, 2003
accessdate=2006-11-09

*cite web|url=http://www.nasa-academy.org/org_details_council.html
title=NASA Academy Alumni Association
accessdate=2006-11-09