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Elena Prieto-Rodriguez

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Elena Prieto-Rodriguez
Nationality
Education
Known forMentorship of women in STEM
Scientific career
Fields
InstitutionsUniversity of Newcastle
ThesisSystematic Kernelization in FPT Algorithm Design (2005)
Doctoral advisors
WebsiteHome page

Elena Prieto-Rodriguez is a Spanish and Australian mathematician, computer scientist, and mathematics educator known for her research in parameterized complexity and her work in mathematics education.[1] She is a professor in the School of Education at the University of Newcastle in Australia,[2] and deputy head of the school for teaching and learning.[3]

Early life and education

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Prieto's interest in computing was sparked by getting a personal computer as a pre-teen.[4] After earning a bachelor's degree from the Complutense University of Madrid, Prieto worked in El Salvador from 1998 to 1999 in a mathematics education program at the University of El Salvador. After beginning graduate study in computer science in 2000 at the University of Victoria in Canada, she transferred to the University of Newcastle in Australia in 2001 and completed a doctorate in theoretical computer science in 2005.[2] Her dissertation, Systematic Kernelization in FPT Algorithm Design, concerned methods for kernelization in parameterized algorithms, and was jointly supervised by Michael Fellows and Frances A. Rosamond.[5]

Work in education

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Prieto became a postdoctoral researcher in the Newcastle Bioinformatics Initiative at Newcastle's School of Engineering and Built Environments, and then moved to the Australian Research Council as a researcher.[2] She became interested in mathematics education out of curiosity about why young people choose careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics,[4] and returned to Newcastle as a lecturer in the school of education in 2012.[2] Since 2017, she has led a project at Newcastle named HunterWISE that links mentorship networks of women in STEM careers with schools outreach to bring younger women into STEM;[4][6] the project won the University of Newcastle's Excellence Award for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in 2019.[7] She is also affiliated as an external member of the Mathematics and Science Education Research Group of the University of Tasmania.[8]

References

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  1. ^ "Re-energising maths education", UON Engage, University of Newcastle (Australia), 3 August 2015, archived from the original on 2020-11-01, retrieved 2018-10-26
  2. ^ a b c d "Dr Elena Prieto-Rodriguez", Staff directory, University of Newcastle (Australia), 16 January 2015, retrieved 2018-10-26
  3. ^ Executive team, Newcastle School of Education, 29 October 2019, retrieved 2024-04-24
  4. ^ a b c Fedunik-Hofman, Larissa (22 July 2019), "STEM program pioneer: Dr Elena Prieto-Rodriguez", Careers with STEM, retrieved 2019-08-20
  5. ^ Elena Prieto-Rodriguez at the Mathematics Genealogy Project
  6. ^ Moore, Julia (7 May 2019), "Industry sponsorship promotes girls participation in STEM in the Hunter", The Singleton Argus
  7. ^ "2019 Excellence Awards celebrated", University News, University of Newcastle, 11 December 2019, retrieved 2021-02-26
  8. ^ Mathematics and Science Education Research group, University of Tasmania, retrieved 2020-01-17
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