Sharon Stefan has been a Residential mathematics faculty member at Estrella Mountain Community College since 2020 and is the current STEM Center of Excellence director. She recieved her Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Loyola Marymount University, her Master of Science in Mathematics from the University of Iowa, and graduate work from Arizona State University, in Mathematics Education.
Sharon identifies as Latina who is a first-generation college student with Guatemalan heritage. Her passion focuses on students with an interest in STEM and education pathways. She values the importance of increasing the number of future scientists, researchers, and educators of all identities and intersectionalities. Her personal and academic background intersects with many of the students she interacts with. She hopes to share her experiences with students who may question if they belong, especially in STEM. She deeply believes in the strong role faculty can play in creating ways to support students to persist and thrive in a STEM major.
With over 15 years of experience in Mathematics and Mathematics Education, she has served as a grant reviewer for the Mathematical Association of America MAA for Tensor-SUMMA (Strengthening Underrepresented Minority Mathematics Achievement) and Tensor Women & Mathematics. Her past teaching experiences include being a Visiting Lecturer at Universidad Católica de Valparaíso in Chile, a Visiting Assistant Lecturer at the University of the Virgin Islands, and a Mathematics Professor at Lone Star Community College in Houston, TX. Sharon passionately advocates for diverse student involvement in the STEM fields and teaching. She has incorporated undergraduate research experiences (URE) as part of her teaching practices at EMCC in Medical Imaging and Health Diagnostics in collaboration with Mayo Clinic. Other projects with students have been to create a 3D replication of a Nepohualtzintzin, a Mesoamerican calculator. She has used it for workshops to learn more about the history of Mayan mathematics.
