I firmly believe that mathematics should be accessible to everyone, and that one of our most important missions as math academics is to make sure everyone--from our students to our colleagues to our community members--feels confident and supported in their mathematical journeys. Mathematics is often represented as a field separated from the biases and politics of other academic fields, when this is anything but the case. Access to quality mathematics education is not equitably distributed, many math spaces are hostile to mathematicians from underrepresented groups, and generational math trauma and imposter syndrome can sideline even the most talented students.
My service work to increase equity and diversity falls into three main categories: mentoring undergrad research, building support networks, and combating gaps in pre-college education within the classroom and without through working with pre-college educators. These are all areas that were initially sparked by my own experiences as a woman in math and were then deepened by hearing the experiences of other students and colleagues from underrepresented groups and what mattered to keep them feeling like they belonged in math.
For more specific experiences/viewpoints, my Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) statement is available here.
My undergraduate research projects are all detailed on my Research page (click here), but one of the main reasons I view undergrad research as equity service is that it gives students from underrepresented groups math that is theirs and increases their confidence in math by showing them that their contributions are meaningful and valued. Having research mentors that shared my identity meant the world to me as an undergraduate, and I strive to provide the same level of encouragement that they gave me to my own students. Most of my research students to date have identified as underrepresented in one or more facets of their identity, and I have seen firsthand how much a supportive research environment can encourage their confidence and abilities.
Many students come into our classrooms in college with gaps in their education, and there are two avenues to fixing these gaps. One is working with the students themselves to catch each student up on skills they haven't learned or internalized yet; the other is changing the system that produces these gaps by working with pre-college educators to provide them resources their schools cannot. The first approach is detailed more in my teaching philosophy (see here), whereas the second relies on direct outreach into the community. Here are a few highlights of my work in this area:
Postdoc on NSF Grant "Developing Exemplary Mathematics Teacher Leaders for High-Need Schools: Content, Equity and Leadership," September 2022 - present
This 6-year grant, led by Professors Lillie Albert, Juliana Belding, C.K. Cheung, and Solomon Friedberg, works to bridge the gap between high school and college level mathematics instruction by connecting mathematicians, mathematics educators, and high school teachers in high-needs schools in Boston. The primary focuses of this community are mathematics content, equitable teaching and learning approaches, and teacher leadership development. In addition to being a participant, my involvement in this grant focuses on learning how to build such programs, as I plan to join or construct a similar program as a professor as part of my long-term equity work.
Instructor at MathCEP Saturday Morning Math Enrichment, December 2019 and January 2020.
This outreach enrichment program for local 5th-7th graders introduces younger students to fun math topics outside of the traditional school curriculum through inquiry-based activities.
Having a support network of people who believe in your abilities is one of the most important factors for staying in mathematics when you question whether you belong. This doubt can come from many places (imposter syndrome, being the only person with your identity in a given space, hostile environments, etc.), but the support of peers and mentors is invaluable for bolstering up your confidence and advocating for your needs. The advice of older mentors who have experience with the way academia works is also so helpful for navigating this world. From my undergraduate days onward, I have built up support networks in my communities and advocated for equity and diversity in mathematics, and I intend to continue doing so for the rest of my career. Some of my work/roles along these lines include:
Co-organizer and co-author for the Graduate Student Statement solicited as part of the process of hiring a new Head of the Mathematics Department at the University of Minnesota, Fall 2020.
The graduate student body at the University of Minnesota is significantly more diverse (see my DEI statement for specific statistics) than the faculty body, so this report (and the one below) highlighted voices that are not often considered in administrative decisions.
Graduate Student Organizer for the Mathematics Department External Review Fall 2019, including compiling graduate student feedback and turning it into an actionable list of suggestions for the Review Committee on the state of the Mathematics Department at the University of Minnesota.
Mathematics Project at Minnesota: served as Pal 2018 - 2020 and as Counselor 2019 and 2020.
MPM is a weeklong intensive program dedicated to introducing UMN students who are members of underrepresented groups into the mathematical community, including networking events, panels with mathematicians and graduate students, discussion of issues in mathematics, and a math research project and presentation. Graduate student Pals are paired with undergraduate Pals and serve as an advisor and point of contact the remainder of their time at the University; Counselors run different events during the program in addition to serving as role models for the attendees. See link here for more information: https://sites.google.com/view/mpm-umn/home
MPM was just awarded the 2024 Award for Mathematics Programs that Make a Difference by the AMS. Note: this program is already prepared in replicable form for any college community, so if you are interested in starting a similar program, please click the link above!
Mentor for the Directed Reading Program, Spring 2022.
The DRP pairs undergrads interested in advanced math with a mentor for an informal reading course on a given topic.
Organizer for Student Number Theory Seminar: Fall 2020 - Spring 2021, Summer Student Representation Theory Seminar: June - August 2019.
Social Events and Professional Development Coordinator for the UMN REU in Algebra and Combinatorics, Summer 2020.
Graduate Student Peer Mentor, Fall 2018 - Spring 2019.
AMS Student Chapter at Minnesota: member Fall 2016 - Spring 2022, Archivist Fall 2018-Spring 2019, Vice President Fall 2019-Spring 2020, President Fall 2020 - Spring 2021.
Applied for and received approximately \$2616 from the University of Minnesota for AMS events.
Co-organized AMS Outreach Event (``Games Fair") held March 2019 at the Minnesota Internship Center (MNIC), a local high school for students with non-traditional backgrounds.
Primary organizer for the AMS Introduction to Research Seminar: Fall 2019 - Spring 2021, which introduced first and second year grad students to potential research advisors.
Brown University Mathematics Departmental Undergraduate Group (Math DUG): member Fall 2012 - present, co-leader Fall 2014 - Spring 2016.
Collaborated with a faculty committee to reorganize the undergraduate curriculum, including creating a new course to introduce the major to potential math majors without requiring a calculus background beforehand.
Primary organizer for Undergraduate Mathematics Seminar and Math DUG events focusing on Women in Math.