NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — A Hampton Roads doctor is paving the way for more kids to go into science.
Dr. Jose Morey says he noticed there wasn’t a lot of diversity in his profession, and now he’s on a quest to change that.
"Oftentimes and many times, I would be the only one from a minority background, or one of a few," said Morey.
Morey, who practices in Newport News, is a physician by trade.
But he’s also worked on projects involving artificial intelligence and with NASA regarding deep space exploration. His unique background and experience garnered him the nickname, “The Intergalactic Doctor.”
But throughout his career, he said he could not ignore the lack of representation.
"If we are going to elevate a community, we have to inspire them to go into these roles," he said.
Born in Puerto Rico, Morey has now set out on a new journey, inspiring children of underrepresented groups to become the next explorers.
“We want to change the paradigm. We want to change the narrative. We want to make content that focuses on science, that makes science cool, specifically for those underserved communities," he said.
Morey launched Ad Astra Media, a media company aimed at helping kids, as early as kindergarten, to see themselves in careers of science, technology, engineering and math, also known as STEM.
The company, which offers free materials online, features children's books and comics depicting young discoverers of all backgrounds.
Morey believes the industry needs to be more representation in regards to race, ethnicity, sexuality, gender identity and children with disabilities, among others, and his company intentionally features 'role models' in those demographics.
Ad Astra Media also offers diversity equity and inclusion, or D.E.I, consulting, and is working with an animated series on Youtube, called Space Racers, which is tailored for kids ages 4 to 6 years old.
He says children in underserved communities don’t always see role models who look like them in STEM careers.
"[We want to] show that anyone can be a scientist, or anyone can be an astronaut. It’s not just one or two people that have to fit into a particular mold, but that’s the kind of thing kids are seeing right now," he said.
"Ad Astra" is Latin for “To the Stars.”
There's a reason Morey chose that name.
"The sky is not even the limit. No matter where you are from, no matter how you speak, no matter how you look – You can be anything you dream," he said.
Morey, who’s also working on education material, says many kids can’t dream what they don’t see, and he hopes this helps them envision a new world of possibilities.
To learn more and explore Ad Astra materials, click here.