For his exemplary contributions as a mentor at Pomona College, Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy Jorge Moreno received the 2026 Outstanding College/University Mentor award from the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS). Moreno was recognized at the association’s annual conference on October 31.
SACNAS is comprised of 127 student and eight professional chapters across the U.S., Guam and Puerto Rico.
Moreno, a computational astrophysicist, was chosen by a panel of SACNAS members through a competitive selection process.
In nominating Moreno for the award, Francisco Mercado, who from 2023-2026 was a postdoctoral fellow in Pomona’s Physics Department and directly experienced Moreno’s mentorship, wrote: “Prof. Moreno has engaged deeply with undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral scholars and STEM professionals, with a particular commitment to those from backgrounds underrepresented in STEM.”
“At Pomona College,” Mercado added, “he has mentored undergraduates primarily through the Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) and senior thesis projects, providing students with rigorous research training, long-term advising and professional development.”
Positive classroom culture empowers students’ love of astrophysics
Lauren Standifer ’27, a physics major whose concentration is in astrophysics, says she never thought she’d become interested in computational astrophysics.
“But I love it,” she says. “And that might be because of the culture Professor Moreno has created. It’s very much about our growth and us learning how to work with others and do research.”
Standifer, a Fargo, North Dakota native, is currently completing her senior thesis with Moreno and has found that “he pushes me to the boundaries of what I think I can do and then a little further because he believes in me.”
“Down the line,” she says, “I’ll be very proud of my thesis because of Professor Moreno.”
Faculty mentorship supports students underrepresented in STEM
Eisha Lopez ’29, a physics major on the astrophysics track from the Los Angeles area, began doing research with Moreno the summer before she enrolled at Pomona, research that continued after her freshman year as part of the Summer Undergraduate Research Program.
“He’s the most welcoming, most kind person,” she says. “He always wants to share his knowledge and is an amazing resource.”
This summer, Moreno met each student on the team weekly to ask for updates on their projects.
Moreno “allowed you to take your own path with your research,” Lopez says, adding that the experience was “empowering.”
Moreno joined the Pomona faculty in 2017 and teaches courses such as Introduction to Astronomy and Extragalactic Astronomy. This fall he is also teaching a first-year seminar on astromimicry, which includes reading memoirs of women of color in astrophysics.
Moreno regularly involves students in research into galaxy evolution and structure formation. His work has helped to unpack the mystery of dark matter deficient galaxies and the threshold of galaxy formation.
Read more about Moreno’s research into galaxies lacking dark matter and about leading a student research opportunity at the Center for Computational Astrophysics at the Flatiron Institute.