About

I am committed to making mathematics and the math community more accessible, welcoming, and inclusive.

Mathematical Journey

I didn't always know I wanted to be a mathematician. My path to a PhD was a winding one. I started college as an engineering major. I changed majors and transferred several times, including a year spent at a community college. I worked throughout college, sometimes having two or three jobs. Ultimately, I earned my first undergraduate degree from UMass Boston, where I majored in sociology with a minor in math.

For a few years I worked at nonprofits and companies in Boston, taking classes on the side in sociology, philosophy, psychoanalysis, and math. I fell in love with math during a year-long abstract algebra course. It was my first proof-based class and the most challenging course I had ever taken. I was encouraged by my professor to consider graduate school, but I didn't feel prepared.

I saved up and went back to UMass Boston full-time for a second undergraduate degree in math. Next I completed a one-year post-bacc program at NC State, a bridge program aimed at helping women get into graduate programs in math. I went on to graduate school at the University of Oregon where I earned my PhD. After that I spent a few years as a postdoc at UCLA. I'm now a postdoc at NTNU, doing research in algebraic topology and teaching undergraduate and graduate courses.

Links

Myths about Mathematics
IPAM Lecture Rochelle Gutiérrez: "Rehumanizing Mathematics: A Vision for the Future"
Improving Department Climate Tools and Resources for Departments and Department Chairs
Living Proof Stories of Resilience Along the Mathematical Journey
AMS Inclusion/Exclusion Blog

Hobbies

I like dancing, circus arts, hiking, skiing, traveling, and playing with my cat Bianca.