On the evening of September 6th, during a special Board Member Cocktail Party, members of Círculo de Puerto Rico, Inc. (CPRI) gathered to celebrate a remarkable milestone: honoring Armando Lebron Rosario, a valued board member, with the first-ever CPRI Honor Award.

Armando received this recognition in celebration of two major accomplishments: being selected for the prestigious Crocus Doctoral Landscape Award (DLA) to pursue his doctoral studies at Swansea University, and for his outstanding work and unwavering support of the CPRI mission.

The Doctoral Landscape Award supports CROCUS (Climate system and biodiversity science for Challenges, Risks, and Opportunities – Collaborating in Understanding and Solutions), a highly competitive international program open to students with a strong background in environmental and climate sciences. Only six PhD cohorts will be trained under this program, beginning in October 2025. Among the global applicants, Armando was the only Puerto Rican selected — a moment of immense pride for our Puerto Rican community.

Born in Philadelphia to Puerto Rican parents, Armando holds a Bachelor’s degree from Temple University and a Master’s in Entomology from the University of Maryland. His career includes developing sustainable agriculture practices for farmers and serving as an entomologist with USDA support. Beyond his scientific work, he holds key leadership roles across several organizations, including CPRI, where he actively contributes to our initiatives throughout Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.

During this meaningful night, we also reflected on the importance of recognizing the accomplishments not only of Puerto Ricans but of the entire Hispanic community. It is vital to celebrate and amplify our collective excellence — to show the world what we, and our hermanos, are capable of.

As Nayda, President of CPRI, shared:

“His achievements inspire us all and exemplify the excellence we seek to honor within our community.”

¡Un orgullo para nuestra comunidad puertorriqueña y latina!