Isha M. Renta López is a Puerto Rican scientist who transformed her passion for science and culture into a community-centered educational mission. Born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, she earned a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez and developed an early interest in hurricanes and community preparedness. In 2004, she pursued meteorology at Howard University and later worked as a researcher, weather forecaster, and manager. While pursuing her professional career, she recognized the lack of Hispanic representation. She collaborated on various programs aimed at ensuring weather information was delivered in Spanish to the communities that needed it most in the Washington, DC metropolitan region and its suburbs, while mentoring Hispanic students interested in meteorology.

Isha’s work extends beyond meteorology into cultural preservation. After experiencing her first bomba (Afro-Puerto Rican traditional music and dance) performance in 2006 with Raíces de Borinquen (Borinquen Roots), she felt a deep cultural connection and eventually joined the group. Later, while living in Fredericksburg, VA, she founded “Semilla Cultural” (Cultural Seed) in 2014 to preserve Afro–Puerto Rican traditions through education and performances. For Isha, performing wasn’t enough; she wanted to pass these traditions to new generations, a mission reflected in the many students who now belong to the organization’s artistic ensemble.

One of Isha’s proudest achievements is her 2024 children’s book Sofía y su Tambor de Bomba. The idea grew from her work with Semilla Cultural, where she saw a lack of educational bomba materials for children. During the pandemic, a writing workshop and an invitation to collaborate on a children’s book about diverse scientists gave her the tools and confidence to write her own book. The final spark came from a social media comment on a photo of her playing the barril [bomba drum]: “She is just a girl and her drum.” Inspired by those words, the full concept of the book emerged in a single writing session. Sofía y su Tambor de Bomba is a bilingual children’s book that celebrates bomba while empowering young readers to break social barriers — in the book’s case, in the traditionally male role of playing the barril. Sofía (named after Isha’s daughters' shared middle name) guides readers through the tradition with both story and practical tools. The book includes a glossary, a QR-linked video with vocabulary and songs featuring her daughter. Today, teachers across Puerto Rico and the U.S. use the book in their classrooms.

The book’s impact has surpassed Isha’s expectations, with new generations learning through her work and Semilla Cultural receiving more invitations than it can handle. For Isha, this legacy is personal, guided by her simple mission: que las tradiciones no mueran (that traditions don’t die). The book is available through various online retailers and in libraries across Puerto Rico and the United States. And her journey is just beginning—she hopes to turn Sofía’s story into a series and explore more educational and cultural themes.

Isha’s story shows how a Puerto Rican woman can unite science, culture, and education to create lasting change.