In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, SIAM is recognizing the achievements of Hispanic and Latin American mathematicians throughout September and October. Learn more about them below and check out a list of resources and networks for Hispanic and Latin American mathematicians.
Silvia Jiménez Bolaños
Silvia Jiménez Bolaños was born in Alajuela, Costa Rica. She earned her bachelor’s in mathematics from Universidad de Costa Rica (UCR) in 2002. She worked as an instructor at UCR for two years before applying for graduate school. Dr. Jiménez Bolaños obtained her Ph.D. in mathematics from Louisiana State University (LSU) in 2010, as a student of Robert Lipton. She was a Visiting Assistant Professor in the department of mathematical sciences at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) from 2010 to 2013. In 2013, she joined the department of mathematics at Colgate University, where she is currently an associate professor of mathematics.
Dr. Jiménez Bolaños’ current research focuses on the mathematics of material sciences. Her areas of research include analysis of partial differential equation, multiscale analysis, and nonlinear elasticity. She works to develop mathematical tools to study models related to applications in engineering, materials science, and mechanics. Together with her collaborators, she addresses questions pertaining to elasticity, photonics, and multiscale analysis of heterogeneous media.
At Colgate University, she has served as a faculty liaison and mentor for students interested in science from underrepresented groups. She has been invited to participate in panels and to give talks on her experience as a first-generation student, as a woman, and as a Latina in STEM by several institutions including WPI, University of Pittsburgh, University of Houston, LSU, and Colgate University.
SIAM has been an integral part of Dr. Jiménez Bolaños’ career. She first joined SIAM as a graduate student at LSU. She helped found and served as president of the LSU SIAM Student Chapter, with Susanne Brenner and Li-yeng Sung as academic advisors. As part of the student chapter, she attended SIAM Student Days and was able to meet and network with students and faculty from other institutions. Additionally, she was invited to present her research in the 2008 Diversity Day by Ricardo Cortez, who also invited her to participate in the Workshop Celebrating Diversity at the 2015 SIAM Computational Science and Engineering Conference. Throughout her career, she has attended, participated, and organized special sessions at many SIAM conferences. She has met many of her friends, collaborators, and mentors through SIAM. Currently, Dr. Jiménez Bolaños is a member of the SIAM Membership Committee and its education subcommittee.
Gabriela Jaramillo
Gabriela Jaramillo is an assistant professor at the University of Houston. Originally from Ecuador, she received her bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and her master's degree in applied mathematics from the Rochester Institute of Technology. Dr. Jaramillo's passion for mathematics pushed her to continue her studies and obtain her Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in 2015. Before her current position, she was an NSF Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Arizona.
Dr. Jaramillo's work focuses on adapting tools from functional analysis to study pattern forming systems. In particular, she is interested in understanding how nonlocal effects, such as long-range coupling in oscillatory media and nonlocal diffusion in vegetation and population models, shape patterns in these systems.
Recognizing the importance of undergraduate research, Dr. Jaramillo has strived to provide such opportunities for students that come from historically underrepresented groups. During the past three years, she has run an online research experience for undergraduates, and she currently organizes the Math Modeling club at the University of Houston.
Throughout Dr. Jaramillo's career, SIAM has been a source of support, providing opportunities to present her work, catch up with colleagues, and start new collaborations. From poster presentations to conference talks and organizing minisymposia, SIAM conferences have provided her with invaluable experiences that have shaped and expanded her career. Currently, she is a member of the SIAM Activity Group on Analysis of Partial Differential Equations, Dynamical Systems, and Nonlinear Waves and Coherent Structures.
Luis Melara
Luis Melara is a professor of mathematics and Assistant Director of Wood Honors College at Shippensburg University. He is Salvadoran-American and was raised in Los Angeles, California. Dr. Melara completed his bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics with a specialization in computing at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Then, he obtained his master’s and Ph.D. degrees in computational and applied mathematics from Rice University. This was followed by a National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellowship at the National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST).
Dr. Melara’s research interests are in optimization and optimal control. His research has focused on applications to image processing, materials science, and mathematical biology. His most recent work focuses on the optimal design of Biological Field Effect Transistors (Bio-FETs) via stochastic regression. Bio-FETs are devices under development with the potential to be used to detect diseases in a low-cost, accurate, rapid, and portable way. This work is being completed in collaboration with NIST.
Dr. Melara’s involvement with SIAM began at the 1997 Annual Meeting. Since then, he has participated in various SIAM conferences and committees. SIAM has been a professional home to Dr. Melara over the course of his career. From 2010-2013, Dr. Melara was the main organizer for the SIAM Mid-Atlantic Student Conference at Shippensburg University. This student conference was co-organized with various SIAM Student Chapters around the Mid-Atlantic region. In 2012, he joined the SIAM Undergraduate Research Online (SIURO) Editorial Board as an Associate Editor. From 2015-2020, he served as the SIURO Editor-in-Chief. In addition, he founded the Shippensburg University SIAM Student Chapter and served as the faculty advisor until 2020. Dr. Melara brought undergraduate students to volunteer at the SIAM booth during National Math Festivals and USA Science & Engineering Festivals numerous times. Currently, he is a member of the SIAM Diversity Advisory Council.
Juan Restrepo
Juan Restrepo is presently a Distinguished Member of the R&D staff and the Mathematics in Computation Section Head at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Dr. Restrepo is a joint faculty member in the mathematics department at University of Tennessee. He previously held faculty positions at Oregon State and the University of Arizona. He serves on the editorial board of several journals, and on the Council of the American Geophysical Union. His research focuses on foundational aspects of machine learning, creating a new framework for systems biology to understand how stress presents itself in plants at all scales, the development of efficient evaluation of electrical conditions in massive power grids via randomized algorithms and surrogate models, and formulating new particle-driven sampling methods.
Dr. Restrepo has had the opportunity to collaborate with several amazing colleagues on notable projects. With Jim McWilliams at UCLA, he worked out a full vortex force framework for how ocean waves affect transport and climate on global scales. The implications on the stability of the meridional ocean circulation, transport of heat, pollution, and tracers critical to oceanic climate were also investigated in regard to oil pollution, oceanic sandbanks, and the inherent stalling of transport near ocean breaker; furthermore, he denoted sticky waters with Shankar Vankataramani, University of Arizona. The latest has been to examine transient ocean transport due to breaking and non-breaking ocean waves. Additionally, he employed facts about random distributions to support the claim that the Earth’s climate is non-stationary, with the implication that it is exceptional and easily changed by forcing, alongside Michael Mann, University of Pennsylvania. They also demonstrated that uncertainties in predictions do not change the overall predictions from our best science on climate forecasts.
Since the mid 1990’s, Dr. Restrepo has worked on the mathematics of dynamics and data and their inherent uncertainties, and since 2005, on combining those analysis frameworks with machine learning and randomized algorithms, such as checkpointing/backward differentiation. His collaborations with Greg Eyink, Johns Hopkins University, were especially fruitful. All told, Dr. Restrepo and his colleagues have developed a number of data assimilation techniques that handle nonlinear/non-Gaussian dynamics. He has also enjoyed working on biological processes, such as bone remodeling, the oxygenation of tissues by red cell transport, and intercellular communication in chemotaxis.
Dr. Restrepo consulted with the National Science Foundation (NSF) on issues of minority training and retention, at the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications. He has presented issues of education inequities to congressional delegations. He participates and supports the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) as much as possible and has been a member of his local university Latino Scientist Organizations. He has a lot of experience in issues on diversity (e.g., NSF Advance, MGE/MSA), but his understanding of these topics came primarily from his mentors: Richard Tapia, Rice University, and Ricardo Cortez, Tulane University. Dr. Restrepo’s pride and joy comes from the success with students who he was fortunate to mentor through one-and-one, dedicated, and intense sessions on mathematics and science. In his present role as a researcher and a manager at a major U.S. science laboratory, he continues his role as mentor in taking advantage of a potential for innovation brought by a diverse and talented, prospective employee pool, and changing the landscape of his lab’s scientific mission.
Dr. Restrepo a 2018 SIAM Fellow and a lifetime member. He serves on many boards and panels for professional societies and government organizations, but SIAM has been particularly rewarding and transformative for his career. He has served in the Web Advisory Committee, the SIAM Fellowship Selection Committee, the Membership Committee, and as Vice Chair of the SIAM Activity Group on Geosciences. He was also awarded the 2017 SIAM Activity Group on Geosciences Career Prize. Currently, Dr. Restrepo is a member of the Diversity Advisory Committee.
Resources
Below are some resources and networks that may be of interest to Hispanic and Latin American mathematicians.