Elsa Salazar Cade
Ever since childhood, Elsa Salazar Cade has pursued a unique passion - entomology, the study of insects.
As one of six children growing up in the Edgewood district of San Antonio, from an early age, Elsa attended schools without science education programs. But her passion drove her on; at age six, Elsa remembers walking by herself to the mobile library in her neighborhood to check out books about bugs. She excelled academically and was the first person in her family to go to college, eventually graduating from the University of Texas at Austin with a bachelor's in elementary education.
Now, Cade is one of the most respected science educators and researchers in the country. She has spent more than 30 years as a teacher and scientist, specializing in research on cricket sexual behavior. Together with her husband, Cade recently published her discovery of a parasitic fly that reproduces by embedding its eggs into the bodies of crickets. In 1995, she was named Science Teacher of the Year by the National Science Teachers Association and was honored for her pioneering work to develop hands-on science curricula that can be implemented on a low budget.
"The most rewarding aspect of it [my work] has been being able to travel and see the world," said Cade, who recently spent time conducting research in Africa. She notes that it has also been exciting to meet other leading experts in her field, including Dan Otte, who is widely considered the foremost international scholar on grasshopper behavior.
She encourages today's Hispanic students to follow their dreams - after all, her childhood passion for bugs has led to an extremely successful career. She encourages students not to focus too much on the roadblocks - "it doesn't matter what you pursue, there will always be roadblocks" - and to think about their education as something that will not only help them, but which will inspire future generations of Latinos. "We have to crash the barriers," Cade says, "not just for ourselves, but for those who come after us."
Cade maintains a Web resource listing of Latinas who have made great strides in science careers. The Web site is an inspiration to all students looking to pursue a degree in this industry.
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