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Isha M. Renta López, CCM
Meteorologist • Children's Book Author • Cultural Advocate

 Bridging science, culture, and community through education, movement, and storytelling.

*Meteorologist & Program Manager

*Founder & Director of Semilla Cultural

*Author of Sofía y su Tambor de Bomba

Certified Consulting Meteorologist (CCM)

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Whether helping move weather research into real-world operations or preserving Afro-Puerto Rican traditions, Isha’s work connects knowledge, culture, and community in service of resilience.

Isha was born and raised in Ponce, Puerto Rico, where growing up among mountains, beaches, and hurricanes shaped her deep connection to nature and community. That connection led her to pursue meteorology and move to Washington, DC in 2004. She has worked in meteorology ever since, supporting weather research, forecasting, policy, program management, and research-to-operations, with a focus on making science accessible and useful to the public. In 2026, she earned the American Meteorological Society's Certified Consulting Meteorologist (CCM) designation. Living away from Puerto Rico strengthened Isha’s relationship to her cultural roots. In 2007, she began studying Puerto Rican Bomba, the island’s oldest documented musical tradition. Since then, she has trained with master practitioners and continues to learn through community-based practice rooted in respect, history, and tradition. In 2014, she founded Semilla Cultural, a nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching, performing, and preserving Bomba across Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, DC. Isha’s passion for keeping ancestral heritage alive sparked her most recent adventure as a children’s book author with the publication of Sofía y su Tambor de Bomba. Whether through science or culture, Isha’s work centers education, access, and community resilience. She is also the proud mother of two daughters and enjoys time with family, live music, and planning her next adventure.

Books

Isha wrote her first children’s book in Spanish and English, and hopes this will be the first of many educational books about Puerto Rican Bomba and science. This series is part of her broader commitment to culturally rooted education for youth and families.

Sofía y su Tambor de Bomba (Español)

Sofia and her Bomba Drum
(English)

Sofia sets out to learn to play the Puerto Rican Bomba drum despite some opposition, but she learns more than that in this educational adventure about the culture of Puerto Rico. Be like Sofía, and venture into this, the first book in our educational series on Puerto Rican Bomba and science.

Reviews:

"More than a children’s book, it’s a cultural keepsake... a joyful way to pass down Puerto Rican culture, rhythm, and identity to the next generation"                                                                -Lelé, parent

“A beautiful story of resistance and triumph... Sofía overcomes stereotypes to claim her place as a drummer in Puerto Rican Bomba.”                                                                     -Manu, parent

Photo of the Sofia y su Tambor de Bomba and Sofia and ger Bomba Drum images with logos of available locations

Bomba

Isha is a practitioner of Puerto Rican Bomba since 2007 and the founder and director of Semilla Cultural, a nonprofit organization established in 2014 to preserve and share Afro-Puerto Rican music, dance, and history.

2025 Impact

1000+ students and participants engaged through classes, workshops, and performances

65+ community spaces including schools, cultural centers, and national landmarks

17 states reached through educational and artistic programming

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Through Semilla Cultural, Isha leads performances, lectures, and community-based learning experiences that center Bomba as both an art form and a living history. One of her past projects include The Banyan Tree of the Americas: Music Evolution in the African Diaspora, which connects Bomba with other African-rooted traditions across the Americas.

Committed to ongoing study and cultural stewardship, Isha completed a year-long Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship (2023) under master dancer Tata Cepeda, and in 2026 Semilla Cultural participated in their Dance Revolution partnership to highlight Bomba as a dance tradition  in Virginia. Isha and Semilla Cultural have presented Bomba at venues such as the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Lincoln Memorial, the Strathmore, and Richmond Folklife Festival, among many others.

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Beyond performance, Isha contributes to the cultural field through leadership and advocacy. She is an alumna of the National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures (NALAC) Advocacy and Leadership Institutes and has served as a grant reviewer for both NALAC and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Her children’s book, Sofía y su Tambor de Bomba, extends this work to younger audiences, using storytelling to educate and empower families through Afro-Puerto Rican cultural traditions.

Meteorology

Isha is a Physical Scientist and Program Manager at NOAA’s Weather Program Office, where she leads Research-to-Operations (R2O) processes that connect scientists with operational staff to ensure research translates into real-world impact. Isha is also a Certified Consulting Meteorologist (CCM, #818) by the American Meteorological Society. The CCM designation recognizes expertise, professional judgment, communication, and ethical practice in applied meteorology.

Past Leadership & Experience

Recognition & Leadership Impact

  • 2027 — Robert H. and Joanne Simpson Mentorship Award, American Meteorological Society. For tireless commitment to mentoring early-career scientists and expanding STEM access for Hispanic/Latin communities through innovative science communication and impactful community engagement

  • 2024 — Professional Achievement in Government AwardWomen of Color in STEM. For leadership advancing science strategy, public–private partnerships, and inclusive science policy and communication at NOAA.

Inspired by growing up in Puerto Rico and living through the impacts of Hurricanes Hugo (1989) and Georges (1998), Isha pursued meteorology despite the absence of local programs. With a background in mathematics from the University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez, she completed graduate studies in atmospheric sciences at Howard University in Washington, DC, launching a career rooted in public service, collaboration, and science that protects lives.

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Isha is a passionate advocate for diversity in STEM, bilingual science communication, and mentorship across career stages. She founded Weather Reach, an outreach initiative that inspires and supports students, from youth to graduate level, through mentoring, education, and representation in the sciences. She also serves as a board member of Latinas in STEM, advancing leadership, visibility, and equity for Latina scientists and engineers.

Follow me on Instagram

Videos
Escritora destaca la bomba boricua con su libro para niños | Telemundo 44
EP #109 How Semilla Cultural Builds Community Through Puerto Rican Bomba
Behind the Page
WOC STEM 2024 Professional Achievement in Government Award
Agosto 19 2020 Flota de Satélites Avanzada Para Estudiar Fenómenos Atmosféricos - WAPA TV
Puerto Rican Bomba Dance Apprenticeship ’22–’23 | Margarita “Tata” Cepeda & Isha M Renta López
Podcast 413 Isha Renta Lopez
Puerto Rican Voices - Semilla Cultural - Season 3 Episode 4

Videos

Cuando las cosas se hacen de corazón, las bendiciones llegan solas.

When things are done from the heart, blessings will come your way.

-Isha M. Renta López

Invite Isha to speak on meteorology, science communication, STEM, culture, community resilience or to perform with Bomba ensemble!

Thanks for submitting!

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©2026 by isharenta

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