Maria E. Schonbek facts for kids

Maria Elena Schonbek is an Argentine-American mathematician. She works at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Her studies are about how liquids and gases move, which is called fluid dynamics. She also works with special math problems called partial differential equations, like the Navier–Stokes equations, which help explain how fluids behave.

Her Journey in Math

Maria Elena Schonbek started her higher education at the University of Buenos Aires. There, she earned her first university degree. Later, she went to the University of Michigan in 1976. She earned her Ph.D. there. A Ph.D. is the highest university degree you can get. Her big research project was about "Boundary Value Problems for the Fitzhugh–Nagumo Equations." Her professor, Jeffrey Rauch, helped her with this work.

In 1986, Schonbek became a professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She taught mathematics there for many years. Now, she is a professor emeritus, which means she has retired but still has an honored title.

While at Santa Cruz, Schonbek suggested a change. The university used to give students written reports about their progress. She thought it would be better to use letter grades, like A, B, or C. This system is more common at most other universities in the United States.

Awards and Honors

In 2012, Maria Elena Schonbek received a special honor. She became one of the first members of the American Mathematical Society's group of fellows. Being a fellow means you are recognized for your important contributions to mathematics.