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UA dean points minority students toward science

There has been a lot of growth around town since Joaquín Ruiz, Dean of the University of Arizona College of Science, first arrived in Tucson 24 years ago.

But from his perspective as an educator, there has not been enough.

“There’s not as much change as I would have liked to see,” he says. “In the sciences the percentages for minority students in the past years hasn’t grown and it’s still in the low teens. That’s disappointing.”

If science is Ruiz’ main passion, the only thing that may exceed it is his dedication to attracting minority students to the field. Under his leadership, which began in 2000, the college created a program designed specifically to prepare high school math and science teachers to make the fields more appealing. Two years ago, Ruiz founded the Wildcat School, a university charter school aimed at attracting and recruiting minority students into science and math.

He believes strong misperceptions prevent minorities from considering the fields.

“It’s not tradition for minority students to be in math and science. They probably have the wrong idea of what science is. Modern science is exciting and you are well-paid. You are going to do things to help humanity in an incredible way. We’re the ones coming up with telephones, the cars and the medicine. They see science as passive, lonely. But there’s nothing further from the truth.” Ruiz says.

Born in Mexico City, Ruiz is a first-generation Mexican and the son of an administrative assistant mother and a father who owned a beer distribution company. His mother, who hails from the United States, and father, who is a native of Spain, never went to college, but they raised Ruiz in a cultured home that was full of books, classical music and people debating politics and social issues. His dream of being an educator is one he has had “as long as I can remember.”

Ruiz’ interest leaned toward science as a teen and he earned a chemistry degree from the National University of Mexico. He taught high school chemistry, physics and math before moving to the United States, where he earned his master’s and doctorate degrees in geology from the University of Michigan. An opening in the University of Arizona’s geosciences department brought Ruiz to the Southwest.

In addition to being recognized for his research, Ruiz’ most noted initiatives include Biosphere 2, the Phoenix Mars Lander and a partnership with the Instituto Nacional de Astronomía, Óptica y Electrónica in Mexico. He also hosts the new lecture series “Global Climate Change,” that features guest speakers and kicks off this month at the Arizona Science Center in downtown Phoenix.

He lives in Tucson with his wife, Bernadette, an attorney, and son Peter, 20.

When he tells students about his career, Ruiz recalls his childhood.

“In the sciences, I do the same things I did when I was a little kid. I ... ask questions and figure out how things work. The fact I get paid to do that is just shocking,” Ruiz says. “I love what I do and I hope it shows. I hope it becomes an inspiration for kids so they want to do what I do.”