The list: 101 top influential leaders in the U.S

Latino Leaders: The National Magazine of the Successful American Latino, June, 2008

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Education: J.D., Burgers School of Law-Newark

Residence: Hoboken, New Jersey

CHANCES OF MAKING THE LIST NEXT YEAR: High

Who ha is:

Bob Menendez grew up the son of immigrants in a tenement building in Union City, New Jersey. A product of New Jersey's public schools and a graduate of the state's universities, he has served as a school board member, a mayor, and a state legislator, first as a congressman and now as senator. He earned national notoriety after 9111 when he reformed the nation's intelligence and public health systems, as well as working to create an independent commission to investigate terrorist attacks.

Why he made the list:

An experienced public servant, Menendez left Congress when he was appointed in January 2006 by New Jersey Governor John Corzine to fill in an empty seat in the senate. He was officially elected last November to a six-year term. As senator, he serves on the Senate Committees on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs; Energy and Natural Resources; Budget; and Foreign Relations. He is also the Chairman of the Subcommittee on International Development and Foreign Assistance, Economic Affairs and International Environmental Protection. Menendez, who has endorsed Senator Hillary Clinton's presidential bid, was given the position of National Campaign Co-Chair in 2007.

Our Prediction:

Menendez will continue to gain experience and power in the Senate. We expect this is just the beginning of a long and successful career in public service.

Contact: U.S. Senate (202) 224-4744

061 MEXICO HEALTH & SCIENCE AGE: 65

MARIO MOLINA

Chemist; 1995 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Education: Ph.D. from UC-Berkeley

Residence: San Diego, California

CHANCES OF MAKING THE LIST NEXT YEAR: Low

Who he is:

The son of a lawyer, teacher and ambassador, Molina was born in Mexico City. As a youth he was fascinated by science and converted an extra bathroom into a laboratory, where he spent hours playing with chemistry sets. Molina received a bachelor's in chemical engineering in 1965 from the Universidad Autonoma de Mexico, a postgraduate degree in 1967 from the University of Freiburg in West Germany, and a doctorate in physical chemistry in 1972 from UC Berkeley. As a postdoctoral researcher in 1974 at UC Irvine, he began researching chlorofluorocarbons (CFS) and their impact on the environment.

Why he made the list:

Molina was a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology when he and two colleagues won the 1995 Nobel Prize for their role in uncovering the threat that CFCs (then widely used in propellants in spray cans) pose to the ozone layer. Currently, Molina holds joint appointments in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of California at San Diego and at the Center for Atmospheric Sciences of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Much of his recent research has focused on the air pollution in the lower atmosphere. He has been collaborating with colleagues to assess and mitigate the air pollution problems of rapidly growing cities around the world. Molina has served on the U.S. President's Committee of Advisors in Science and Technology.