Jaime Escalante's former student to deliver UTSA lecture on the legacy of Stand and Deliver

Mathematics researcher to discuss the challenges she's faced as a Latina in STEM

Erika Camacho to discuss the challenges she's faced as a Latina in STEM.

(April 11, 2017) -- The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) will host a lecture by Erika Camacho, associate professor of mathematics and natural sciences at Arizona State University (ASU) and a former student of Jaime Escalante, whose work with underprivileged students in an East Los Angeles high school was profiled in the film Stand and Deliver.

Camacho's lecture, "Knocking Down Walls: Fulfilling the Promise of Stand and Deliver" will portray her challenges as a Latina in the STEM field and the obstacles she faced to achieve her personal and professional goals. She will also discuss the mentors and individuals that contributed to her success, including her current research on retinitis pigmentosa and the challenges that she has faced during her life and career.

Camacho earned her Ph.D. in applied mathematics from Cornell University in 2003. Prior to accepting her current faculty position at ASU, she spent a year as a postdoctoral research associate at Los Alamos National Laboratory and held a tenure-track faculty position at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. Her research is mainly focused on the interface of mathematical applications to biology and sociology. Some of her projects include mathematically modeling the transcription network in yeast, the interactions of photoreceptors, social networks and fungal resistance under selective pressure. Like many of Escalante's former students, she has embraced mathematics and its many applications.

The 1988 film Stand and Deliver, starring Edward James Olmos as Camacho's former teacher, depicted a group of Hispanic students from working-class families who are underperforming in school. They are guided and inspired by their teacher to take on new academic challenges. The film was a great success and has been singled out as an important film celebrating Latino culture and characters, as well as emphasizing the positive impact that relatable role models and teacher engagement can have in the lives of students beyond the curriculum.

A part of the College of Sciences Dean's Distinguished Lecture series, this lecture is presented by two programs housed within the college: the UTSA Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (RISE) and Maximizing Access to Research Careers Undergraduate Student Training in Academic Research (MARC-U*STAR). These programs support underrepresented and financially disadvantaged minority students in their efforts to pursue research careers. Additionally, the lecture is presented by the UTSA PIVOT for Academic Success program, which seeks to increase academic success among first generation students. Camacho's lecture will be in the Main Building Auditorium (MB 0.104) on the UTSA Main Campus on April 13 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

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- Joanna Carver

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