About Me

I am originally from Caracas, Venezuela. I earned my undergraduate degree in my home country of Venezuela at the Universidad Simon Bolivar, then went on to earn my PhD at the University of Texas. While completing my doctorate in mathematics, I was also selected as the AMS-AAAS Mass Media Fellow in the summer of 2007; as such, I wrote articles for the Voice of America.

My main research area is Number Theory, in particular the intersections of number theory with geometry, physics, and cryptography. I am also very interested in the communication and teaching of mathematics to create a more inclusive and diverse STEM workforce. I am a proud alumna of the Linton-Poodry SACNAS Summer Leadership Institute and the HHMI-SACNAS Advanced Leadership Institute, and I'm committed to increasing the representation of marginalized groups in the mathematical sciences. Recently, I was visiting mathematician at the Mathematical Association of America’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., from September to November 2016.

I am frequently asked why I have almost no accent, even though my first language is Spanish, and I always answer that I am just very talented. But seriously, my maternal grandmother was from Wisconsin, and I heard English being spoken since I was a baby, even though I didn’t speak it myself until later. I think this just trained my ear to the sounds of American English (further proof is that I cannot imitate any accents, I can only speak Midwestern American English).

Lately, I've gotten really into storytelling. I have told at the Story Collider podcast, at Sound Bites, and many stories at a local event called The Corner.

If you want to read more about my research, go here. If you want to know more about the writing I've been doing since my Mass Media Fellowship, go here. If you're a student, get off the internet! But first, go here.