Our Mission
To ignite curiosity through space science education, outreach programs, and by serving as a liaison between community members and STEM resources and opportunities.
Our Vision
STARS aims to foster the natural human desire for exploration and discovery by cultivating connections to science and the cosmos across the Rio Grande Valley.
Board of Directors
Victor de los Santos
Executive Director
board chair
board chair
marija jette
Design & Communications
Debbie Cox
Board Secretary
Richard Camuccio
PhD Physics Student
Chief Scientist
Chief Scientist
Brina Martinez
PhD Aerospace Engineering Student
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Nurith Galonsky
City of Brownsville
City Commissioner - District 1
City Commissioner - District 1
Moises Gomez
Board Treasurer
Certified Public Accountant
Certified Public Accountant
Advisory Board
Carol Lutsinger
NASA Solar System Ambassador
STARS Founder
STARS Founder
Timothy Barry
Architect
International Planetarium Society
International Planetarium Society
Dr. Mario Diaz
Professor, UTRGV
Director, CGWA & CTMO
Director, CGWA & CTMO
Kathryn Youker
Public Attorney
Director, Economic Justice Project
Director, Economic Justice Project
Community Partners
“It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience. There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world.
To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we’ve ever known.”
Carl Sagan
Pale Blue Dot, 1994