Pamela E. Harris facts for kids

Pamela Estephania Harris (born November 28, 1983) is a Mexican-American mathematician, teacher, and supporter of immigrants. She is currently a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Before this, she was a professor at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. She also helped start an online platform called Lathisms. Pamela is an editor for the American Mathematical Society (AMS) e-mentoring blog.

Pamela Harris's Early Life and Education

Pamela Harris moved with her family from Mexico to the United States when she was 8 years old. They later moved back to Mexico, then settled in Wisconsin when Pamela was 12. Because she didn't have the right immigration papers, she couldn't go to a regular university at first.

Studying and Earning Degrees

Instead, Pamela studied at the Milwaukee Area Technical College. There, she earned two associate degrees in just two and a half years. After she married a US citizen, her immigration status changed. This allowed her to transfer to Marquette University, where she earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics.

She continued her studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She completed her master's degree and then earned her PhD in 2012. Her PhD research was guided by Jeb F. Willenbring.

Early Career Steps

In 2012, Pamela Harris was chosen as a Project NExT fellow. This program helps new math teachers. She also worked as a Davies Research Fellow at the United States Military Academy. In 2016, she joined the faculty at Williams College as an associate professor. In 2022, she became an associate professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Contributions to Mathematics and Community

Pamela Harris studies a field of math called algebraic combinatorics. She especially looks at how Lie algebras are represented. To understand this, she studies special math functions called vector partition functions. She is also interested in graph theory and number theory.

Promoting Diversity in Math

In 2016, Pamela co-founded an online platform called 'Lathisms'. This platform highlights the important work of Latinx and Hispanic people in math. In 2020, she co-wrote a book titled "Asked and Answered: Dialogues On Advocating For Students of Color in Mathematics."

Pamela Harris also co-hosts a podcast called "Mathematically Uncensored" with Aris Winger. This podcast is part of the Center for Minorities in the Mathematical Sciences. Since October 2020, they have discussed issues that minority groups face in the field of mathematics.

Awards and Recognition

Pamela Harris has received many awards for her teaching and her efforts to make math more welcoming for everyone.

Teaching and Mentorship Awards

In 2019, she won the Mathematical Association of America Henry L. Alder Award. This award is for excellent teaching by new college math professors. She received it for guiding students in research and for being a strong supporter of a diverse math community. She also received the early career Faculty Mentor Award from the Council of Undergraduate Research.

In 2020, Pamela was chosen as one of the first Karen EDGE Fellows. In 2022, she was a winner of the Deborah and Franklin Haimo Awards for Distinguished College or University Teaching of Mathematics.

Speaking Engagements and Fellowships

Pamela gave an invited speech at the 2019 Joint Mathematics Meetings, a major math conference. In 2019, she was also a featured speaker at the national conference for the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS).

In 2022, she was named a Fellow of the American Mathematical Society. This was for her work in algebraic combinatorics, for mentoring student researchers, and for helping create a fairer and more inclusive math community. Also in 2022, she became a fellow of the Association for Women in Mathematics. This honor recognized her leadership in creating programs and networks that support women and underrepresented groups in math. It also recognized her public speaking that helps improve the math profession.

In 2018, Pamela Harris was featured in the book Power in Numbers: The Rebel Women of Mathematics.

See also

In Spanish: Pamela E. Harris para niños