Bio

I was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and I attended Detroit Public Schools for my secondary and most of my elementary education. I then enrolled at Michigan State University, graduating in 2005 with a B.S. with High Honors in Mathematics. My mentor at MSU was Jeanne Wald; she's a noncommutative ring theorist (surprise, surprise).

During my time at MSU, I participated in an alternative spring break program (volunteer work) in Puebla, Mexico in 2002, and a summer study abroad program on Race Relations in South Africa in 2003. I still have great interests in race relations (as it was called then), especially in increasing the participation of underrepresented groups in the mathematical sciences.

After my second year of graduate school at Michigan, I was given the opportunity to complete my research work at the University of Manchester with my thesis adviser, Toby Stafford, who transferred to the UK in Fall 2007. I also returned to Michigan, to work with my other thesis adviser, Karen Smith, and to teach for one semester per year for the last three years of my program. So I moved...a lot! Naturally, this furthered my interest in traveling.

I was an NSF postdoc at the University of Washington in Seattle in 2011-2012; my postdoc mentor was James Zhang. I was also at MSRI for the Spring 2013 program on Noncommutative Algebraic Geometry and Representation Theory; my postdoc mentor there was Sarah Witherspoon. My last postdoctoral position was at MIT, where I was a Moore Instructor in the Math Department in 2012-2015; my postdoc mentor was Pavel Etingof.

My first permanent position was as a tenure-track Assistant Professor in Mathematics at Temple University (2015-2018). Then I became an Associate Professor with tenure in the Mathematics Department at The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. I am currently an Associate Professor (still with tenure) in the Mathematics Department at Rice University... which you know as you're on this page. :)

I live with my husband and two dogs in Houston, Texas.

Press

If you would like to know more about me, then please check out the following pieces in which I am sincerely grateful to have been featured:


Inclusion Consulting Service

I have given many math talks and have served on panels, particularly for diverse audiences, and for individuals who have interests in increasing diversity, inclusion, and equity in mathematics. This is necessary and fulfilling work that takes time and effort. If you are interested in having me participate in your event, then please note that along with limiting such out-of-town events, I have implemented a consulting service plan *** for these endeavors.

Consulting services include, but not are limited to:
-- Talks on diversity, inclusion, and equity, including my own professional journey.
-- Participation in discussions and panels on diversity, inclusion, equity, anti-racist and anti-sexist practices.
-- Formal mentoring and counseling of women and racially underrepresented junior mathematicians.

Fee: $350/hour, $1,000 minimum, excluding travel expenses.
The fee for talks and panels can be in the form of an honorarium. The number of work-hours in the fee should include preparation time. Pro-bono services are sometimes granted upon request, not by default. For examples of past and current pro-bono diversity and inclusion services, please see my log of such activities (and requests) during Aug. 16 - Oct. 5, 2018.

*** I am no longer available for this public service due to a great increase of job responsibilities, including private D/I/E service. If you seek this type of service elsewhere, it is appropriate to offer payment on par with the fee above or higher.
(Updated September 20, 2021)