Lathisms
Lathisms was founded in 2016 in order to showcase the contributions of Latinx and Hispanic mathematicians during Hispanic Heritage Month, which is celebrated in the United States from September 15 and October 15 every year. During this time we featured/revealed a prominent Latinx/Hispanic mathematician daily, providing a biography and information on their research, teaching and service contributions. The 2016 Lathisms calendar was highlighted in the article "Lathisms: Latin@s and Hispanics in Mathematical Sciences" (Notices of the American Mathematical Society, Volume 63, Number 9) and the American Mathematical Society supported this endeavor by creating and distributing a poster "Latin@s and Hispanics in the Mathematical Sciences." You can order a copy here.
This website has been made possible by the support of the American Mathematical Society, a Tensor SUMMA grant from the Mathematics Association of America, Williams College and the Writing Center at Youngstown State University.
Statement on Black Lives Matter
As an organization created to increase the visibility of Latinx/Hispanic mathematicians, we fully support and stand in solidarity with our Black students, peers, colleagues family and friends who disproportionately face the systemic burden of racism and police brutality.
Black Lives Matter in our past, in our present, and in our future. We will continue our work to become better allies, to uplift the Black Lives Matter movement, and do the work we must to uphold equity and social justice in our mathematical communities.
You can support efforts in our math community by supporting the National Association of Mathematicians (NAM), a non-profit professional organization in the mathematical sciences with membership open to all persons interested in promoting excellence in the mathematical sciences and promoting the mathematical development of all underrepresented minorities.
Leadership Team
Dr. Pamela E. Harris, Associate Professor, Mathematics, Williams College
Dr. Pamela E. Harris is a Mexican-American mathematician and serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. She received her B.S. from Marquette University, and M.S. and Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. Dr. Pamela E. Harris's research is in algebraic combinatorics and she is the author of over 60 peer-reviewed research articles in internationally recognized journals. An award winning mathematical educator, Dr. Harris was the 2020 recipient of the MAA Northeast Section Award for Distinguished College or University Teaching, the 2019 MAA Henry L. Alder Award for Distinguished Teaching by a Beginning College or University Mathematics Faculty Member, and the 2019 Council on Undergraduate Research Mathematics and Computer Sciences Division Early Career Faculty Mentor Award. She was also selected as a 2020 Inaugural Class of Karen Uhlenbeck EDGE Fellows. Dr. Harris serves as President of Lathisms and is a member of the board of directors.
Dr. Ryan Moruzzi, Jr, Assistant Professor, Mathematics, California State University, East Bay
As an alumni of Cal Poly Pomona, where he received his Bachelors of Science in Mathematics in 2010, Ryan is excited to work with the diverse students as an assistant professor at California State University, East Bay. In his educational journey, Ryan has overcome many obstacles and found successes with the help of many mentors, allowing him to pass along as a mentor a unique viewpoint that resonates with many students. Along with his own research with students, he is active in forwarding and growing his educational community through actions of equity, inclusion, and anti-racism. Through his experiences both in K-12 and higher education, he sees how inequities perpetuate a system of hierarchy and racism in the classroom and community. He strives to be intentional with his actions, working towards breaking down racist traditions that are both visible and invisible in education.
Dr. Leyda Almodóvar Velázquez, Associate Professor of Mathematics, Stonehill College
Dr. Leyda Almodóvar Velázquez grew up in Yauco, Puerto Rico and completed her bachelor's at the University of Puerto Rico- Mayagüez and her master’s and doctoral degree at the University of Iowa, where she also completed a Certificate in College Teaching. Dr. Almodóvar is currently an Associate Professor at Stonehill College in Easton, MA, where she directs GirlsGetMath@Stonehill, an outreach program for underrepresented students in STEM. Her research interests include DNA self-assembly, graph theory, and applications to biology.
Sofía Martínez Alberga, Ph.D. Candidate, Mathematics, Purdue University
Sofía is a fifth year graduate student in the mathematics department at Purdue University. Originally born and raised in southern California, she considers herself culturally Spanish and Panamanian and she earned her Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the University of California, Riverside in 2019. That same year she won the NSF GRFP and participated in the EDGE program. Sofía started at Purdue that same fall semester on the Math Alliance Fellowship and in the summer of 2020 and 2022 was an MSRI-UP graduate research mentor. She rose to candidacy in March of 2022 and now is passionate about pursuing her research in the area of algebraic topology with her advisor, Manuel Rivera. (Photo Courtesy of Amira Maxwell for SLMATH)
Vanessa Rivera Quiñones, AI Coach & Data Science Consultant
Dr. Vanessa Rivera Quiñones is an AI Coach at BeCode.org and a data science consultant. Born in Puerto Rico, her love for mathematics began at an early age and continued to grow thanks to the encouragement of her family, teachers, and the support of many mentors. She received her bachelor’s (B.S.) degree from the University of Puerto Rico at Río Piedras (2013) and her doctoral degree (2019) from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in Mathematics. She serves as the Treasurer of Lathisms as well as a member of the board of directors. She believes mathematics is a human endeavor and that by creating inclusive and equitable environments that embrace the identities of who does mathematics, our community will flourish. At the next step of her career, she is interested in working on the ever-growing challenges of sustainability, healthcare, and education through a social justice lens.
Dr. Rosaura Uscanga Lomelí, Assistant Professor, Mathematics, Mercy College
Dr. Rosaura Uscanga Lomelí is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Sciences at Mercy College. She is a Mexican-American mathematics education researcher, whose research focuses on the teaching and learning of abstract algebra. She is also passionate about equity and diversity research. She received her undergraduate degree in mathematics from The University of Texas at Arlington and her M.S. and Ph.D. in mathematics from Oklahoma State University. She is Clerk of Lathisms as well as a member of the board of directors.
Dr. Daniel Serrano, Senior Faculty Specialist, University of Maryland College Park
Daniel Serrano is Senior Faculty Specialist at UMCP's (University of Maryland College Park) IPST (Institute for Physical Science & Technology). He grew up in Colombia until graduating from high school, and then pursued studies at Northern Virginia Community College (AS), Virginia Tech (BS in Biochemistry and Environmental Science), and UMCP (PhD in Biological Sciences). Since graduating in 2014, Dr. Serrano has been coordinator or director of 6 programs at UMCP: a Mathematics of Quantum Science research training group, a Computational Biology NSF research traineeship, a Nanotechnology research fellowship, a Physics research experience for undergraduates, an Astronomy summer research experience, and a Space Science experiment design research experience. Through these, he has provided mentorship, teaching, and professional development support to undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers across a wide range of disciplines.
Lily Levin, Recent Undergraduate Student, Williams College
Lily Levin is recent graduate of Williams College. Currently, she is taking a year in Spain to teach students English before going to law school to pursue a career in education policy. She is passionate about promoting educational equity and inclusion. She worked with Lathisms for over half of her college career and continues to work for the organization after graduation. She serves as Lathisms' program manager and coordinates many of Lathisms' day-to-day logistics.
Vanessa Sun, Ph.D. Student, Geochemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Vanessa is a Brazilian-Taiwanese-American artist, mathematician, and scientist. She is currently a Geochemistry PhD student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She earned her bachelor’s degree in mathematics and studio art, with minors in political science and media studies, at Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY). Vanessa is also a proud alum of the 2020 MSRI-UP REU program and an organizer for the Online Undergraduate Resource Fair for the Advancement and Alliance of Marginalized Mathematicians (OURFA2M2). She is passionate about sharing resources with undergraduate math students and in creating a more inclusive and diverse mathematics community. Vanessa is a Lathisms Scholarship Co-Chair.
Dr. Daniel A. Cruz, Postdoctoral Associate, Medicine, University of Florida
Dr. Daniel Cruz is an Ecuadorian immigrant and DACA recipient. He got his Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of South Florida in 2019 and was a member of the Southeast Center for Mathematics and Biology until 2022. His research focuses on multiscale, mathematical/computational models of biological systems. Dr. Cruz has served on various committees supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts in and out of academia, including the Society of Mathematical Biology DEI Committee most recently. He also enjoys promoting the work of early career researchers, especially those from underrepresented minorities, through the seminars, special sessions, and mini-symposia that he organizes. Dr. Cruz currently works in the Laboratory for Systems Medicine at the University of Florida.
