Jonathan Chinana of Navajo Technical University

Jonathan Chinana is from Cuba, New Mexico, and a student at Navajo Technical University (NTU) where he has been recognized for his outstanding contributions in developing an affordable Kibble balance to measure mass that is based on the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Jonathan thanked his instructors for teaching the basics of electrical engineering and his mentors for their guidance with the Kibble balance. He also appreciated the team’s support during the previous balance project. Jonathan has led programming sessions to help participants control their robots at various summer youth camps, including the NTU/NASA Robotics Academy, and he presented at a tribal college gathering during the summer of 2024.

“During my formative years, I encountered academic challenges and gained an understanding of the struggles of self-directed learning,” says Jonathan, adding, “Through introducing Native students to this field, we hope to ignite their curiosity and independent thinking, gently encouraging them to explore the numerous opportunities within STEM and paving the way for their future success.”