Armando Caussade

I am an astronomy educator with 30+ years of leadership involving public science initiatives, along with teaching experience at all levels.  Ana G. Méndez University, where I established a flourishing astronomy extension program, has been my home institution since 2014.  I regularly serve as a speaker and star party facilitator (following the philosophy of John Dobson's sidewalk astronomy), with live audiences reaching 5,000 per year and wide media coverage.

My career includes 20+ years as a computer systems administrator.  I polished myself using Microsoft and Unix server platforms at federally qualified health centers, where I worked extensively with healthcare informatics.  Seeking a change, in 2015 I switched to the Linux operating system and open source technology in general, which led me to become a Linux trainer and to start educating the public on its use as a desktop computer environment.

After a competitive process I was accepted into the 2014-2015 Antarctic season of PolarTREC, an NSF-funded program.  In 2015 I traveled to the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station where I successfully conducted 10 days of work at the IceCube Neutrino Observatory.  I am likewise familiar with the Arctic, having visited and trained there twice under winter conditions.

My leadership roles include chairing for 6 years the Puerto Rico Astronomy Society, a NASA Space Grant-affiliated group that I joined at its founding in 1985, and where I started large projects of public outreach.  In 2018 I established and became president of the Puerto Rico Linux Users Group, the first of its kind to achieve incorporation status in the island.

I additionally do writing, editing and translation work, both under my name and as a ghost writer.  Being a published author led me in 2018 to start AC Publishing House, an online business using the Blurb Internet platform to market books directly to customers via on-demand printing.