Message for Black History Month Revisited

What is the status of your case?

Last year I requested and received a letter from Tulane University verifying that my MSc Degree in Physics is an academic degree.  Here is the verification letter which has been apostilled, officially translated, and duly certified:

What happens now?

My verification letter will now be submitted to CONARE for the equalization of titles.

What does that mean?

It means the misclassification of my MSc as a professional degree made by CONARE in 2014 will be corrected to a classification of academic.  Because my application to the PhD program in astrophysics was denied on the grounds that my MSc was professional and not academic this will clear the way for my admittance to the program.

Why didn’t you request a verification letter in 2014 when your application was first rejected?

At that time I did not even remotely think it was necessary to do so.  I very naively truly thought my legal appeal through the UCR system would resolve the issue.  When that, from 2015 to 2022, did not resolve the issue I resorted to obtaining legal counsel to go through the administrative process.  Now that the administrative processhas not resolved the issue I have no other alternative then to involve Tulane University.

Do you think this will finally resolve the issue?

I certainly expect that it will!

What if it doesn’t?

My legal counsel has informed me that unfortunately CONARE, for whatever reason, may attempt to block the submissionof my verification letter.  However this would be illegal, which would then be addressed by my legal counsel.  It is as if CONARE does not want to acknowledge the verification letter from Tulane University.  Strange isn’t it?

For me this whole process has been on the “back-burner”.  This article is the fourth installment in the “Message for Black History Month – Never Give Up!” series.  I have received comments that this is becoming “movie worthy”! 

As I have always done I continue to conduct my space education and outreach activities to students and adults alike through my Natural Physics Variety Show!  Last year we did our “Birthday Comet Show” to commemorate Earth being visited by a comet that comes around every 50,000 years, and which happened to reach its closest approach to Earth on my birthday!As part of a group organized by professional astronomers, my wife Tirza and I were able to view the comet from the crater of the volcano Irazú – it was awesome!

We also did our “Summer Solstice 2023” show.Excerpts from both shows and our trailer can be viewed by going to leroylarry.com, clicking on “Watch Our TV Show!”, and selecting them from the Playlist.Our showbroadcasts on Apple, Amazon, Spotify, and Google Podcasts, with simultaneous video live streaming on Facebook, Twitch, and YouTube.  At last count we have 50K+ listeners and viewers from here in Costa Rica and around the world!

We will be transitioning from podcasts to webinars via Zoom, which will be broadcast simultaneously on Facebook and YouTube.  Viewers will be able to attend the webinars and participate interactively.  Whether I am able to return to my previous astrophysics research here, or will continue elsewhere, each show will include my research presented in a way that participants will feel as if they are doing the research right along with me – stay tuned for the “Natural Physics Variety Show” Zoom webinars coming your way soon!  Scrolling further down at leroylarry.com are links to my Natural Physics website, show broadcasts, show posters, and previous news articles.

Last year I had the opportunity to be the Invited Commencement Speaker for the Cabécar High School Graduating Class of 2023.  I also conducted physics workshops.  It was an honor and a privilege to introduce physics to the students and teachers, and humbling to meet students who are willing to walk two hours each way through the jungle to school.

Tirza accompanied me to the remote indigenous Cabécar territory.  We have an invitation to speak through translators with the elders about their knowledge of the ancient, enigmatic, stone spheres found only in Costa Rica, some of which are located in their territory.  Using physics to solve the mystery of the spheres will be featured in future shows. We made a documentary of our experiences “Cabécar Journey Documentary” which is also available for viewing from the Playlist.  Excerpts from my Commencement Speech are included at the end of our film – please enjoy!

The title of my Commencement Speech was very appropriately“Follow Your Passion Follow Your Dream!” or in Cabécar “BaskuJiSherkeBaski Je Wo!”.