21+ Science Series – A Scientist and a Mathematician Walk into a Bar: Women in STEM

Professor Amber Puha earned her PhD in Mathematics with a specialization in Probability Theory from UCLA in 1998. Subsequently, she spent one year at UCSD as a National Science Foundation Mathematical Science Postdoctoral Fellow, where she began applying her expertise in Probability Theory to the study of Stochastic Network Models. These models capture the inherent randomness of networks that arise naturally in modern applications, such as hi-tech manufacturing, computer and communications systems, transportation, and even biological systems. Her research has focused in this area since. She joined the CSUSM Department of Mathematics in 1999 when the university was just ten years young. Her career has included a balanced approach to teaching, research, and service. She has worked as a mathematical consultant for the National Security Agency, served a two-year term as an Associate Director at the Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics located on the UCLA campus, and served a three-year term as an elected member of the American Mathematical Society Council. In 2007, she and her collaborators received the Applied Probability Society of INFORMS Best Publication of the Year Award for their joint work on processor sharing queues. In 2009, she was named the Greater San Diego Area Mathematics Council Outstanding Post-Secondary Mathematics Teacher. In 2011, Campus Recreation selected her to receive the inaugural Advisor of the Year Award for her sustained guidance of the CSUSM Surf Team. She is the 2015-16 recipient of the CSUSM President’s Outstanding Faculty Award for Scholarship and Creative Activity.
 

Bianca R. Mothé received her Bachelors in Science (Biochemistry and Theatre Arts) from Beloit College. She then obtained a Ph.D. from theUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison in Cellular and Molecular Pathology. She worked as a Senior Scientist at a biotechnology in San Diego called Epimmune on different vaccine platforms, including HIV and Hepatitis C Virus, for almost 2 years. Bianca joined the faculty at CSUSM in 2003 in the Department of Biology Sciences. On campus, she has served as the Biotechnology Program Coordinator, Service Learning Faculty Directoras well as on Faculty Consensus Group and Strategic Planning Council for the California State University Program for Education and Research in Biotechnology (CSUPERB). She currently serves as a Chartered Member of the Vaccines Against Microbial Pathogens study section at the National Institutes of Health. She is interested in vaccine development for acute and chronic diseases, such as tuberculosis and HIV. Starting January 2016, she is the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies at CSUSM.