visit, which was announced by then President of the Puerto Rican Senate, Kenneth McClintock, he met with schoolchildren at the Capitol, as well as at the Bayamón, Puerto Rico Science Park, which includes a planetarium and several surplus NASA rockets among its exhibits. Acaba returned to Puerto Rico on June 1, 2009. During his visit, he was presented with a proclamation by then Governor Luis Fortuño. He spent seven days on the island and came into contact with over 10,000 persons, most of them schoolchildren. He received the Ana G. Mendez University System Presidential Medal and an Honorary Doctorate from the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico, where he inaugurated a flight simulator on February 7, 2013, during one of his visits to Puerto Rico to promote the study of math and science among students, as well as to visit his relatives. Caras Magazine named him one of the most influential and exciting Puerto Ricans of 2012. See also References External links Spacefacts biography of Joseph Acaba NASA biography Video of NASA HQ Social event December 2012 1967 births Living people American people of Puerto Rican descent Educator astronauts Peace Corps volunteers People from Anaheim, California People from Inglewood, California Hispanic and Latino American educators Puerto Rican United States Marines Texas Tech University alumni United States Marines United States Marine Corps astronauts United States Marine Corps reservists University of California, Santa Barbara alumni NASA civilian astronauts Aquanauts American expatriates in the Dominican Republic Space Shuttle program astronauts Hispanic and Latino American scientists Spacewalkers Military personnel from California Puerto Rican aviators