Antonio Rodriguez
Power Words
Where were you born?
Puerto Rico
What school did you attend?
University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez, Engineering School
What gained you interest in the NIH?
Mainly the mission, but also an opportunity to lead a group focused on improving the quality and overall performance of most of the areas responsible for providing the central services to the NIH.
What kind of work do you do at the NIH?
I work with a very diverse group of professionals from scientists to blue collar professionals. Together we provide a wide array of services such as animal surgeries, research laboratories, safety protocols, security, laboratory equipment and maintenance services, library services, emergency response, and food services. I lead a group of industrial/systems engineers and an industrial psychologist with the aim to guide them towards more efficient and effective practices through planning, implementation, assessment, and guidance. We use very cool and advanced tools that include simulation and modeling software where you can show in the computer what happens in real life scenarios. For example, you can see in the computer screen an animation of how an evacuation of the Bethesda campus would unfold. People leaving the buildings and either leaving the campus as pedestrian or accessing their vehicles in parking garages and later driving out of the campus. Because of our leadership in the field we are routinely asked to present in colleges, universities, and international conferences. We add a lot of value and have a lot of fun while helping the NIH improve the health and well being of many people throughout the world.