Leadership and Mentorship

Dr. Rosa Diaz – Founder

Dr. Rosa Diaz brings over 26 years of proven leadership at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), where she currently serves as Consulting Staff Scientist for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (Roman) missions. She applies her extensive experience coordinating multidisciplinary teams to prepare mission-critical systems for operations and drive new scientific capabilities—expertise she brings to mentoring students, college collaborators, and adult learners in Bridges Strong programs.

Current Leadership Highlights at STScI (Roman Telescope Branch)

  • Deputy for the Pipeline and Archive Block — Leading preparation of data processing pipelines and archives for full operations.

  • Leading Scientific Development for the Roman Research Nexus — Spearheading new cloud-based platform capabilities for efficient data access, reduction, and analysis.

  • Supporting Archive Development & Technical Programs — Enhancing archives and developing practical tools, including software for the Roman Data Monitoring Tool.

  • Broad Cross-Functional Coordination — Managing complex projects that integrate scientists, engineers, operations teams, and technical specialists across flagship NASA missions (Hubble, JWST, Roman).

Foundational Experience in Team Building & Mentorship

  • Founded and led specialized teams for managing, maintaining, and distributing calibration data across all instruments and telescopes.

  • Established the team responsible for developing, maintaining, and validating the Exposure Time Calculator for the Hubble Space Telescope, ensuring long-term sustainability and alignment.

  • Designed infrastructure, scientific validation tests, and subsystems for operations and control systems in multi-instrument, multi-mission environments.

  • Actively contributes to STScI and NASA public outreach, including programs like “Young in Astronomy and Engineering,” through talks, virtual sessions, and hands-on engagement to inspire the next generation.

Experience That Powers Successful Guidance

Dr. Diaz’s track record equips her to effectively lead groups of all sizes through structured yet flexible frameworks. She excels at:

  • Coordinating diverse, multidisciplinary teams on high-stakes, multi-year technical initiatives.

  • Prioritizing efforts by community impact, feasibility, resources, and innovative potential.

  • Fostering responsible innovation, sustainable documentation, and knowledge transfer that allows future participants to build directly on prior work.

  • Integrating real-world tools (including AI literacy and bias awareness) into collaborative problem-solving.

  • Creating inclusive, empowering environments rooted in her personal journey from Mexico to leadership at one of NASA’s premier institutions, with a strong commitment to accessible, bilingual (English/Spanish) education for underserved communities.

“Students and learners today will identify challenges and co-create content that tomorrow’s innovators will use to drive real-world impact.” — Dr. Rosa Diaz

This depth of scientific leadership, team coordination, and educational outreach ensures participants in Bridges Strong initiatives develop tangible skills, strong portfolios, cross-generational partnerships, and the confidence to become effective community problem-solvers and innovators