Demetrio Sierra

Demetrio Sierra
Where do you currently live?

Puerto Rico

What is your current occupation?

Assistant Professor at the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine

What school did you attend while participating in NHD?

Copperas Cove Junior High School, Copperas Cove, TX

What college did you attend?

Yes. BS Biology, minor in Chemistry; PhD in Neurobiology

Who were your teachers?

Mr. Danny D. Corbett

What years and in what category did you participate in NHD?

Academic year: 1993-1994 (Group performance)
Academic year: 1994-1995 (Group Performance)

What are a few of your favorite or defining moments from your NHD experience?

Competing at the local, state, and national levels with teammates/friends as we represented our academic institution.

How did NHD help you after high school?

NHD helped me learn how to perform research and literature searches, develop in written/oral communication, and participate in team work.

What recognition did you receive for participating in NHD?

1993-1994 (Group performance: 1st in district, 1st in state, 6th in nation)
1994-1995 (Group performance: 1st in district)

Did you do anything with your NHD project or research after the contest year?

Unfortunately, no.

Is there anything else that you would like to share about your NHD experience?

As I slowly matured, I realized that my first academic mentor was Mr. Danny Corbett as part of the NHD. Indeed, what I learned working on the history projects under his tutelage — writing, collaboration/team work, communicating, group discussions, etc. — are skills that I needed during my undergraduate and graduate studies, and skills that I still use today.