Mayor Demings presented Dr. Pinilla-Alonso with a Distinguished Resident Award for her significant accomplishments in astrophysics and planetary sciences on Monday, March 28.
“As Women’s History Month comes to an end, we are proud to recognize the professional achievements of Dr. Pinilla-Alonso, a seasoned Hispanic professional in her field. Dr. Pinilla Alonso’s accomplishments have far-reaching impacts on this generation and generations to come. She serves as a role model inspiring students to pursue STEM education.”
– ORANGE COUNTY MAYOR JERRY DEMINGS
Dr. Pinilla-Alonso is an Associate Scientist at the Florida Space Institute with the University of Central Florida, and she was selected to study the solar system via NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope – the largest and most advanced telescope in history from a pool of over 1,100 proposals from 44 different countries.
Her research focuses on discovering how our solar system formed and evolved to its current state by “determining surface compositions of minor bodies and interpreting them in terms of surface alteration mechanisms and, ultimately, formation conditions.”
The award is given to people who, with their work or their actions, “exemplify collaboration, innovation, and inclusion.
