Having grown up in East Los Angeles, California, Dr. Erika Camacho understands many of the struggles that students and women of color must endure in striving to attain their academic and professional goals. Dr. Camacho will be sharing her life experiences and the challenges she had to overcome to help her achieve her personal and professional goals. She will share stories about the key individuals and decisions that contributed to her success and transformation, including highlights of her research and the adversities she faced. Dr. Camacho will also share her passion for social activism and continual drive to transform the world of academia and strengthen our communities. Her life story is full of insights and lessons of empowerment for all. 

There will be a small reception for the speaker at 4pm. Please RSVP by either signing up or emailing apantano@uci.edu by March 31st.

Dr. Erika T. Camacho received her B.A. in Mathematics and Economics from Wellesley College in 1997 and her Ph.D. in applied mathematics at Cornell University in 2003. She is currently an Associate Professor in the School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at Arizona State University. Her leadership, scholarship, and mentoring have won her national recognition including the SACNAS Distinguished Undergraduate Mentoring Award in 2012, the Hispanic Women Corporation (HWC) National Latina Leadership Award in 2011, recognition as one of 12 Emerging Scholars of 2010 by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, and a citation for mentoring and guiding undergraduates in research by the U.S. National Security Agency, among others. In addition to maintaining a high-profile research activity, Dr. Camacho has embraced a lifelong journey to change the landscape of the field of Mathematics by greatly diversifying it.