Ramon E. Lopez is a Professor of Physics at the University of Texas at Arlington. His research is both in space plasma physics and physics and space science education.
Dr. Lopez is a Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS) and of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). In 2002 he was awarded the APS Nicholson Medal for his extensive work in education, and he has received other awards for his work both in space physics and education from organizations including NASA, APS, and SACNAS (the Society for the Advancement of Native Americans and Chicanos in Science). He is the author of over 100 peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Lopez has always had an interest in communicating his science to the public. In 2002, with journalist Michael Carlowicz, he published Storms from the Sun, a popular science book about space weather, and in the late 1990s he was a co-developer of Electric Space, a 4000-square foot traveling museum exhibit about the space environment.
In addition to his research and education work at the university level, Dr. Lopez has been very active in pre-college science education. He worked as a consultant for the National Science Resources Center, assisting them in their professional development programs and contributing to the development of several of theScience and Technology for Children science kits for elementary grades. He was a member of the design and writing team for Active Physics, a High School curriculum project. Dr. Lopez was a member of the writing team for the College Board's Standards for College Success science standards. He has also served as a science education consultant for numerous school districts and state departments of education, as well as other organizations
Dr. Lopez earned a bachelor's degree in physics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and his master and doctorate degrees in space physics from Rice University.