Alexander Ortiz

High School Prize for Scientific Excellence 2015 Home Logistics for Ceremony 2015 Winners Photos

“I will impact the world by exploring creative solutions to complex questions related to theoretical physics.”

Art and science may seem like polar opposites to some, but Alexander Ortiz recognizes similarities. The ability to ask big questions, search deeply for answers, and embrace open-minded inquiry is required of artists and scientists alike. Alex considers himself to be both.

As an independent thinker with an insatiable curiosity, he was first an artist—drawing, writing poetry, and playing the guitar. As a selected member of the Bali Art Project, Alex spent a month abroad with a group of students and project hosts. While in Bali, he took part in music, dance, painting, and shadow puppet making and spent time in a small village with a local family.

The trip changed him. “I took many things for granted like running water, healthy food, and clean living conditions,” he said. “I’m more grateful now for what I have.” After the loss of his father, Alex became involved in the Georgia O’Keeffe Art and Leadership Program for Boys, which encourages self-discovery and creative exploration with the support of male role models. As an intern in the program, he mentored other young men in the arts and helped them develop healthy perceptions of masculinity and leadership.

Through art and music, Alex was able to relate to others and seek out patterns and order to make abstract connections. He recognized those same strengths could be applied when studying math and science. “Art has similar aesthetic balances as math and science,” he said. “For me, it was a seamless transition of my interest to go from one to the other.”

Alex has taken his learning beyond the impressive list of AP math and science courses offered at Santa Fe High School with an independent study in calculus-based physics and explorations in classical mechanics, electricity, and magnetism. He is frequently engaged in intellectual discussions with teachers and peers, actively participates in the Science Club and related competitions, tutors other students, and was nominated by teachers to receive Santa Fe Institute’s Award for Scientific Excellence. He also continues to sketch and paint.

In the future, Alex sees himself as becoming a world citizen through work and travel, connecting with others on a deeper, more meaningful level. He will bring his creative, imaginative approach to science by pursuing a career in theoretical physics and conducting research into the field of complexity to explain the order and structure of intricate systems revealed in nature. He is inspired by research at LANL and hopes to work there alongside scientists and engineers to explore creative solutions to complex questions and to “consider the absurd” when seeking answers.

“This scholarship is allowing me to pursue a higher education that I wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford,” said Alex. “I’d like to thank the donors who make these scholarships a reality and give students like me the opportunity to work at LANL as interns, engage in STEM careers, ask the big questions, and improve our quality of life.”