View source for Biography:Pamela E. Harris

{{short description|Mexican-American mathematician}}

{{Infobox scientist
| name              = Pamela E. Harris
| image             = 
| image_size        = 
| caption           = 
| birth_date        = {{Birth date and age|1983|11|28}}
| birth_place       = 
| death_date        = 
| death_place       = 
| nationality       = 
| fields            = [[Biography:Mathematician|Mathematician]]
| workplaces        = {{plainlist|
*[[Organization:Williams College|Williams College]]
*University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee}}
| alma_mater        = Marquette University<br>[[Organization:University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee|University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee]]
| doctoral_advisor  = Jeb Willenbring
| thesis_title      = Combinatorial problems related to Kostant’s weight multiplicity formula
| thesis_url        = https://cpb-us-w2.wpmucdn.com/sites.uwm.edu/dist/d/129/files/2016/04/pamela-e-harris-1zu8lyw.pdf
| thesis_year       = 2012
| doctoral_students = 
| known_for         = 
| awards            = {{no wrap| Mathematical Association of America Henry L. Alder Award (2019)}}<br> Karen EDGE Fellow (2020)
}}

'''Pamela Estephania Harris''' (born November 28, 1983) is a Mexican-American mathematician, educator and advocate for immigrants. She is currently an associate professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in Milwaukee, Wisconsin,<ref name="UW-Milwaukee">{{cite web |title=Faculty-Department of Mathematical Sciences |url=https://uwm.edu/math/our-people/people-faculty/ |publisher=University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee |access-date=7 January 2023}}</ref> was formerly an associate professor at [[Organization:Williams College|Williams College]] in Williamstown, Massachusetts and is co-founder of the online platform Lathisms.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=About |url=https://www.lathisms.org/about-2 |access-date=2024-01-05 |website=www.lathisms.org}}</ref> She is also an editor of the e-mentoring blog of the American Mathematical Society (AMS).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://blogs.ams.org/mathmentoringnetwork/editors/|title=About the Editors|date=January 25, 2013|website=e-Mentoring Network|language=en-US|access-date=January 18, 2020}}</ref>

== Early life and career ==
Harris first emigrated with her family from Mexico to the United States when she was 8 years old.<ref name=":0">{{Cite magazine|last=Williams|first=Talithia|url=http://chalkdustmagazine.com/biographies/spotlight-on-pamela-harris/|title=Spotlight on: Pamela Harris|date=October 23, 2019|magazine=Chalkdust|language=en-GB|access-date=January 18, 2020}}</ref><ref name=rebel/> They returned to Mexico, before eventually settling in Wisconsin when Harris was 12.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":5"/> Because she was undocumented, she could not attend university.<ref name=":62"/><ref name=":5">{{Cite journal|last1=Cortez|first1=Ricardo|last2=Ardila|first2=Federico|date=September 1, 2018|title=Pamela Harris: The Mathematical Rise and Social Contribution of a Dreamer|url=https://www.ams.org/journals/notices/201808/rnoti-p1025.pdf|journal=Notices of the American Mathematical Society|volume=65|issue=8|pages=1|doi=10.1090/noti1723|doi-access=free}}</ref> Instead, she studied at the Milwaukee Area Technical College, where she earned two associate degrees in two and a half years.<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":62" /> After she married a US citizen and her immigration status changed, she transferred to Marquette University, where she obtained a bachelor's degree in mathematics.<ref name=":62" /><ref name=":0"/> She went on to complete her master's degree and in 2012 a PhD at the [[Organization:University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee|University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee]]. Her Ph.D. dissertation was advised by Jeb F. Willenbring.<ref>{{mathgenealogy|id=164738}}</ref> Harris was a [[Project NExT]] (New Experiences in Teaching) fellow in 2012.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.maa.org/programs-and-communities/professional-development/project-next/fellows/fellow-search-form|title=Fellow Search Form {{!}} Mathematical Association of America|website=www.maa.org|access-date=January 18, 2020}}</ref> She was a Davies Research Fellow at the United States Military Academy,<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":5" /> and, in 2016, joined the faculty at Williams College<ref name=":8">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cur.org/MathCS_2019FacMentorAwds/|title=CUR Math/CS Division Selects 2019 Faculty Mentor Awardees {{!}} General News – News {{!}} Council on Undergraduate Research|website=www.cur.org|access-date=January 18, 2020}}</ref><ref name=":5" /> where she was an associate professor.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://math.williams.edu/faculty/|title=Faculty|website=Mathematics & Statistics}}</ref> In 2022, she joined the faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee as an associate professor.<ref name="UW-Milwaukee" />

Harris studies [[Algebraic combinatorics|algebraic combinatorics]], in particular the representation of [[Lie algebra representation|Lie algebras]].<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Research |url=https://www.pamelaeharris.com/research |access-date=2024-01-05 |website=Pamela E. Harris PhD |language=en}}</ref> In order to understand this representation she studies vector partition functions, in particular [[Kostant partition function|Kostant's partition function]].<ref name=":0" /> She is also interested in [[Graph theory|graph theory]] and [[Number theory|number theory]].<ref name=":3" />  In 2016 she co-founded an online platform called 'Lathisms' which aims to promote the contributions of Latinxs and Hispanics in the Mathematical Sciences.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://math.williams.edu/check-out-the-lathisms-webiste-co-founded-by-professor-harris/|title=Check out the Lathisms website, co-founded by Professor Harris!|website=Mathematics & Statistics|language=en-US|access-date=January 18, 2020}}</ref><ref name=":0"/> In 2020 she co-authored the book "Asked and Answered: Dialogues On Advocating For Students of Color in Mathematics".<ref>{{Cite web|title=Asked and Answered|url=https://www.goodreads.com/work/best_book/87843401-asked-and-answered-dialogues-on-advocating-for-students-of-color-in-mat|access-date=2021-03-18|website=www.goodreads.com}}</ref> Harris, along with Aris Winger, run a podcast, Mathematically Uncensored, through the [https://minoritymath.org/ Center for Minorities in the Mathematical Sciences]. Starting in October 2020, they discussed current issues in mathematics that minorities encounter.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mathematically Uncensored|url=https://aperiodical.com/tag/mathematically-uncensored/|access-date=2021-03-18|website=The Aperiodical|language=en}}</ref>

== Recognition ==
In 2020, Harris was selected as part of the inaugural class of Karen EDGE Fellows.<ref>{{Cite web|title=2020 Inaugural Class of Karen EDGE Fellows|url=https://www.edgeforwomen.org/2020-inaugural-class-of-karen-edge-fellows/}}</ref> In 2019, Harris won the Mathematical Association of America Henry L. Alder Award for Distinguished Teaching by a Beginning College or University Mathematics Faculty Member,<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=Henry L. Alder Award|url=https://www.maa.org/programs-and-communities/member-communities/maa-awards/teaching-awards/henry-l-alder-award|access-date=January 18, 2020|publisher=Mathematical Association of America}}</ref> for her mentorship towards undergraduate research and for being a "fierce advocate for a diverse and inclusive mathematics community."<ref>{{Cite web|title=Henry L. Alder Awards - Pamela Harris|url=https://www.maa.org/sites/default/files/pdf/awards/MathFest2019/Alder_Harris.pdf|access-date=2020-07-12|website=Mathematical Association of America - Henry L. Alder Award}}</ref> She further received the early career Faculty Mentor Award from the Council of Undergraduate Research in the Mathematics and Computer Sciences Division.<ref name=":8"/> She was a 2022 winner of the Deborah and Franklin Haimo Awards for Distinguished College or University Teaching of Mathematics.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.maa.org/sites/default/files/Awards/Haimo_Harris.pdf|title=Deborah and Franklin Tepper Haimo Award: Pamela Harris|publisher=Mathematical Association of America|date=August 2022|access-date=2022-08-10}}</ref>

She gave one of the Mathematical Association of America Invited Addresses at the 2019 Joint Mathematics Meetings.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://jointmathematicsmeetings.org/meetings/national/jmm2019/2217_invited.html|title=Joint Mathematics Meetings 2019|access-date=January 17, 2020}}</ref> In 2019 she was a featured speaker at the national conference of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS).<ref name=":62">{{Cite web|url=https://massivesci.com/articles/pamela-harris-mathematics-williams-college-undocumented-scientist-zecondorf/|title=Five facts about Pamela E. Harris, Mexican-American mathematician and educator of "leaders of character"|last=Serrato Marks|first=Gabriela|date=January 16, 2020|website=Massive Science|access-date=January 17, 2020}}</ref><ref name=":9" /><ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-08-13|title=SACNAS Announces Keynote & Featured Speakers for 2019 SACNAS - The National Diversity in STEM Conference in Hawai'i|url=https://www.sacnas.org/2019/08/13/announcing-keynote-featured-speakers-for-2019-sacnas-the-national-diversity-in-stem-conference/|access-date=2020-07-12|website=SACNAS|language=en-US}}</ref> She was named a Fellow of the American Mathematical Society, in the 2022 class of fellows, "for contributions to algebraic combinatorics, for mentorship of undergraduate researchers, and for contributions to a more equitable and inclusive mathematical community".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ams.org/cgi-bin/fellows/fellows_by_year.cgi|title=2022 Class of Fellows of the AMS|publisher=American Mathematical Society|access-date=2021-11-05}}</ref> In 2022 she will become a fellow of the Association for Women in Mathematics, "For exceptional leadership in establishing programs and mentoring networks that support, encourage, and advance women and underrepresented minorities in the mathematical sciences; and for contributions through public speaking that create positive systemic change in the culture and climate of the mathematics profession."<ref>{{Cite web|title=2022 Class of AWM Fellows|url=https://awm-math.org/awards-awm-fellows-2022-awm-fellows/}}</ref>

In 2018 Harris was featured in the book ''Power in Numbers: The Rebel Women of Mathematics''.<ref name=rebel>{{Cite book|contribution-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rURaDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA192|title=Power in Numbers: The Rebel Women of Mathematics|title-link= Power in Numbers: The Rebel Women of Mathematics |last=Williams|first=Talithia|year=2018|publisher=Race Point Publishing|isbn=978-0-7603-6028-6|language=en|contribution=Pamela E. Harris (b. November 28, 1983): Improving Diversity on the Mathematical Sciences|pages=192–195}}</ref><ref name=":9">{{Cite web|url=https://www.2019sacnas.org/keynote-speakers/|title=Keynote Speakers – SACNAS|language=en-US|access-date=January 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191029222639/https://www.2019sacnas.org/keynote-speakers/|archive-date=October 29, 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== References ==
<references />

== External links ==
* [https://www.pamelaeharris.com/ Personal webpage]
* [https://www.dropbox.com/s/7qjkro7rkj1hiuj/Harris_CV.pdf?dl=0 Curriculum vitae]
*Meet a Mathematician! [https://www.meetamathematician.com/interviews#h.rvwajosb9pnj Video interview]
* {{cite web|url=https://www.vanguardstem.com/archive/2018/1/22/wcwinstem-pamela-e-harris-phd|title=#WCWinSTEM: Pamela E. Harris, Ph.D. (interview)|first=Léolène|last=Carrington|work= Vanguard: Conversations with Women of Color in STEM|date=January 22, 2018}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Harris, Pamela E.}}
[[Category:Combinatorialists]]

{{Sourceattribution|Pamela E. Harris}}