Zdeňka Guadarrama is a Hispanic mathematician who believes mathematics should be accessible, joyful, and seen as part of our shared human experience. She earned her bachelor’s degree in economics with honors from Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM) before moving to the welcoming environment of the Mathematics Department at the University of Arkansas, where she completed her M.S. and Ph.D. in mathematics. She is now a Professor of Mathematics at Rockhurst University in Kansas City, where she also serves as department chair and directs the Applied Mathematics program.

In 2012, she co-founded Mathapalooza, an outreach program that invites children, families, and teachers to experience the wonder of mathematics through play. Over the years, Mathapalooza has engaged thousands of participants and supported teachers in bringing playful, hands-on math to their classrooms. Her leadership and dedication to outreach have been recognized with awards such as the 2022 STEMMy Educator of the Year and the 2025 Andrews McMeel Universal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award.

Her work brings mathematics to places where people learn, gather, and create—from classrooms to parks and galleries. She recently curated math-and-art exhibits including Math Play with Light (2025), Tiling for Change (2024), and Visualizing Math: A Pathway to Art and Creative Design (2023), creating immersive experiences that connect diverse communities and blend mathematics with culture. Proud to be a Hispanic woman in mathematics, she draws inspiration from her heritage and is committed to representation and inspiring future generations to see themselves in the mathematical community.

Zdeňka Guadarrama’s work spans mathematics education, outreach, interdisciplinary art collaborations, and service leadership. As a Professor of Mathematics at Rockhurst University, in Kansas City, she integrates teaching, mentoring, scholarship, and community engagement to advance the accessibility and appreciation of mathematics. Her teaching blends rigor with creativity, using playful inquiry and visual art to deepen understanding and broaden participation. She has published on guided-inquiry approaches, playful outreach, and the integration of art into mathematics education, as well as co-authoring inquiry-based calculus and algebra texts. Through this body of work, she advances a vision of mathematics education that is engaging, inclusive, and connected to human creativity.

Dr. Guadarrama’s outreach leadership is most visible through Mathapalooza, a program she co-founded in 2012 and she directs, which engages thousands of children, families, and educators in playful mathematics and provides professional development for K–12 teachers. Her work has been recognized through numerous grants and awards, including the 2022 STEMMy Educator of the Year and the 2025 Andrews McMeel Universal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award. She also shares her expertise globally, delivering invited talks and workshops on mathematics, art, and playful learning.

Her scholarship and service intersect through interdisciplinary initiatives that often position mathematics within cultural and artistic contexts. She has curated math-and-art exhibitions such as Math Play with Light (2025), Math Window Lattice (2024), and Visualizing Math: A Pathway to Art and Creative Design (2023), creating public spaces where mathematics is experienced as visually striking and culturally relevant. These exhibits and related talks demonstrate how mathematics can serve as both a medium for artistic exploration and a bridge to community engagement.

Mentoring is central to Dr. Guadarrama’s work. She guides undergraduate research, particularly at the intersection of mathematics and art, and supports pre-service teachers in adopting playful, inquiry-based pedagogies. She is committed to broadening participation in mathematics, mentoring women and Hispanic students and helping them navigate pathways into mathematical study and STEM careers.

As Chair of Rockhurst’s Department of Mathematics, Analytics, and Technology and Director of Applied Mathematics, she has advanced curricular innovation, strengthened faculty collaboration, and fostered interdisciplinary partnerships. Her leadership emphasizes inclusivity and community-connected learning, linking mathematics education with real-world and cross-disciplinary contexts.

Through her teaching, scholarship, outreach, and leadership, Dr. Guadarrama promotes a vision of mathematics as a creative, inspiring, and communal endeavor. As a Hispanic woman in mathematics, she draws on her heritage as a source of inspiration for creating inclusive, joyful, and culturally connected approaches to mathematics. She strives to create pathways for future generations, inspiring students from Hispanic and other underrepresented backgrounds to see mathematics as a place where they belong and can thrive.

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“Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to reflect on my journey as a Hispanic woman in mathematics and the responsibility it carries. I draw strength from the resilience, creativity, and deep sense of community in my heritage as I work to make mathematics more welcoming and accessible. This month reminds me that being a Hispanic woman in leadership is both a celebration of those who came before me and a promise to those who come next: to keep opening doors and lifting others so that future generations feel seen, supported, and truly welcomed.”

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