Monica Morales-Hernandez, assistant teaching professor of mathematics, draws on her experiences as both a woman and a Latina to teach her Adelphi students that they, too, can excel in math.
As an undergraduate applied mathematics major at Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes in her native Mexico, Monica Morales-Hernandez—now an assistant teaching professor in the Adelphi University Department of Mathematics and Computer Science—approached her professor, hoping he would explain a particular theorem. “He told me, ‘You don’t need to understand it because you are going to get married and never use it again.’”
Even though at the time she considered his response culturally normal, she didn’t let it stop her. Instead, inspired and motivated by her only woman professor’s passion to defy stereotypes, Morales-Hernandez persisted, going on to earn master’s degrees at both the Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes and at Clemson University.
Even here in the United States, she feels she must prove herself to people who hear her accent and express surprise to learn that she earned an advanced degree in this country. “I’ve come to expect that as a woman of color who is Mexican, I will always have to work harder to show I know my stuff,” she insisted.
A Community of Women Mathematicians
For Morales-Hernandez, joining the welcoming community of the Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM) while at Clemson made all the difference. “Without AWM, and the people I’ve met and the support I’ve received, I don’t think I’d be in academia,” she said. “It’s amazing.”
Morales-Hernandez just completed her term as AWM Student Chapters Committee chair, during which she was charged with handling and communicating with more than 100 student chapters the world over, including overseeing a seminar series with women mathematicians and monthly Zoom chats with the chapters.
In 2022, along with other committee members, she received the AMW Service Award for her work on developing its EvenQuads playing cards—decks of cards honoring notable women in math that players of all ages can use to play many mathematical games. Two decks are currently available and another two are in the works.
“It means so much to me to get this recognition from a group that opened doors for me and made me feel part of the math community,” Morales-Hernandez said.
Making Math Classes Welcoming and Fun
EvenQuads reflects her playful classroom approach. “I try to show students that you aren’t born with math skills—math is like a sport, and you can do it even if you think you can’t,” she explained. “I love to show students in entry-level classes that mathematics can be applied to the real world to solve real-life problems. That’s my passion.”
Morales-Hernandez added, “It’s time to make mathematics human and link it to the real world: It’s something we use every day. The field still may not feel welcoming for some people, yet it should be a place where everyone feels safe and welcome.”
A history of mathematics is something that Morales-Hernandez shares with her students, regularly including transformative contributions not only by women but also by members of the LGBTQIA+ community. “I invite them to create posters that link history with mathematics.” One student, she noted, created a poster on Alan Turing, the British mathematician who was gay and known as the father of theoretical computer science—whose story the movie The Imitation Game is based upon.
She thrives on shattering all the lingering stereotypes associated with math—from male domination to the field’s reputation as a subject that inspires fear and anxiety in many—with her emphasis on the real-world utility of math. And she is currently working with an Honors College student to research math anxiety as influenced by faculty attitudes. “Give it a name and you can do things to prevent it. I love this project,” she said.