Miriam Nuno, University of California, Davis

Abstract

Women remain highly underrepresented in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce. Women hold 24 percent of STEM jobs in the United States, and only 2 percent of Latinas held science and engineering positions in 2015, according to the National Science Foundation. The dearth of women in STEM occupations is due to a complex interplay of several factors which include underrepresentation in STEM field majors, gender differences in employment expectations, and high rates of retention, to name a few. In this talk, I will describe some of the challenges that Latinas face when pursuing a STEM degree and employment. I will share my own experience in mathematics and biostatistics to draw parallel to the challenges that other Latinas face nationwide. I will describe how a career in STEM has shaped all aspects of my professional career through research, teaching, and service. I will present some preliminary findings from a recent study to illustrate an area of research involving health disparities.

Speaker Bio: Miriam Nuño is Associate Professor in Biostatistics and Surgery Residence at the University of California at Davis. Her research focuses on the application of statistical methods for analyses of electronic health records and claims data. It often emphasizes one of these three areas: comparative effectiveness research, causal inference in observational studies, and mathematical modeling for predicting patient outcomes. Nuño is the recipient of the faculty scholar award given by the Center for the Advancement of Multicultural Perspective in Science (CAMPOS). She serves in the Vice Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Faculty Excellence in Diversity at UC Davis and is actively involved in efforts to increase the number of underrepresented minority students and faculty members in mathematics, biostatistics, and public health sciences. She supports the efforts to increase representation of women in STEM careers through the César Chávez Youth Leadership Conference and Celebration each year. Nuño first came to DIMACS as a graduate student to participate in a summer school tutorial on Dynamic Models of Epidemiological Problems in 2002 and later for a Working Group on Methodologies for Comparing Vaccination Strategies in 2004.

Slides  Video