Meet our dedicated team of educators, mathematicians, and business leaders
We are currently hiring for the following role(s):
Regional Partnerships Manager (Texas)
If you’re interested in future positions at National Math Stars, please send your resume to careers@nationalmathstars.org
Ilana founded National Math Stars in 2023. Prior to that, she worked as a management consultant for Bain & Company, advising for- and non-profits in education, climate, and manufacturing. She started her career as a Product Manager at Yahoo!. She holds a B.S. in Engineering from Olin, an M.Phil. in European Literature from Cambridge, and an MBA from Stanford. In her spare time, you’ll find Ilana attending the theater, reading novels, petting her two cats, and solving all sorts of puzzles.
Ambika is a first-generation immigrant who grew up in Lagos, Nigeria and Bangalore, India before moving to New York City for college. She has spent the last decade working in private and public charter schools as a mathematics educator and more recently as the Founder and Superintendent of Promesa Academy, a public charter school in San Antonio. She holds a B.A. in Mathematics and an M.A. in Mathematics Education from Columbia University.
A self-professed math nerd, Alex began his career as a 5th-grade STEM teacher in California before joining Edpuzzle, where he led curriculum development for schools nationwide. More recently, Alex ran an education nonprofit focused on expanding college access for first-generation, low-income students. Alex has a BA in Psychology and Education from Dartmouth College.
Teresa Lambe brings over two decades of teaching experience, spanning middle and high school, across diverse educational environments. Most recently, she worked for an educational technology start-up dedicated to providing high-quality online classes across the country. Teresa attended the North Carolina School of Science and Math, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for a degree in English Education, and UNC Wilmington for a degree in Curriculum and Supervision.
Al has worked in advanced math enrichment as an instructor, coach, and curriculum writer for several math camps and programs both in and out of schools. He loves designing new math activities to showcase the beauty and joy in studying advanced math. He holds a B.S. in Math from Iowa State, M. Ed. in Math Education from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and a M.S. in Applied Math from UC Riverside. In his spare time, Al enjoys being active outdoors, playing board/video games, and hanging out with his two dogs.
Bilqis brings a blend of experience in education and technology to National Math Stars. She began her career in Dubai, developing and teaching a tech-integrated curriculum at a startup school. Upon returning to the U.S., Bilqis gained experience as an educator and administrator in both in-person and online public charter schools. She has also worked in the technology and business sectors. Bilqis holds a B.A. in Anthropology and Arabic with a minor in International Studies from Dartmouth College.
Zach comes to National Math Stars with over 18 years of experience in education. Born in Miami, Florida, Zach has always taken to helping people. After graduating from the University of Miami, he served as an education volunteer in the Americorps and later the Peace Corps. He has taught in both Austin and San Antonio, earning recognition from the Texas Education Agency as a “Master Teacher.” In his spare time, Zach enjoys reading, cooking, and hiking with his family.
Initially disinterested in STEM, his perspective transformed through the guidance of mentors, ultimately inspiring him to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Houston. Humberto graduated Magna cum laude from Lone Star College CyFair, where he was an Honors Chancellor’s Fellow. His academic journey includes participation in the NASA Micro-g NExT program, where his team’s award-winning design was tested at the NBL at the Johnson Space Center. As a math mentor for National Math Stars and a former site coordinator for the St. Elmo Brady STEM Academy, Humberto is passionate about unlocking the potential of future scientists and mathematicians by helping students appreciate the beauty of mathematics, which he believes is joyful as much as it is useful.
Uma is currently pursuing a degree in Computer Engineering at the University of California, Riverside, with a strong foundation in mathematics. She is passionate about helping students understand and appreciate math by making it accessible and enjoyable. Her approach to tutoring focuses on fostering problem-solving skills and building confidence in her students. Outside of academics, she enjoys playing the violin, dancing, and painting!
As a lifelong math lover, Meena found her passion in teaching mathematics. Meena was on the mathematics faculty at Boston’s Commonwealth School, teaching advanced courses spanning calculus, statistics, and computer science. Having found herself in the minority at national competitions as a student, Meena now works with the Math Prize for Girls competition. Meena earned her Ed.M. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and her A.B. in computer science from Harvard College.
Caroline is a PhD student at UC Irvine studying computational biology. She is a lifelong math lover and grew up competing in the AMC and MATHCOUNTS, and she has coached students in recreational math for several years. She is very passionate about exploring math topics and extending them to study real life conundrums. Her favorite number is 8. Caroline holds a BS in bioengineering and applied math from the University of Washington.
Riley is currently a Statistics PhD student at Columbia University, after having earned a B.S. in Applied/Computational Mathematics from the University of Southern California. They have been a TA for various college classes, as well as grade-school math enrichment camps. Riley enjoys playing board games, growing their CD collection, and performing in the Columbia pep band.
Teena got her PhD in Mathematics at Georgia Tech and a MS in math from University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where she studied combinatorics and graph theory. She is now a full professor at Emory & Henry University, a small liberal arts college in Southwest Virginia. She and her husband are raising two math whizzes as well as two hounds. In her spare time she likes to play board games, read books, and find ways to make ordinary life more of an adventure.
Mark is an experienced tutor, with multiple years spent tutoring math at a college level. He completed his B.S. in applied mathematics at Montana State University, and recently graduated with his M.S. in mathematics, again at MSU. In his spare time, Mark enjoys mathematical puzzles and computer games.
Stephen Hu (he/they) knew they wanted to be a mathematician from a young age. Along the way, he gained an appreciation for sharing the joy of math with others. A day which Stephen talks about math is a good one. A proud New Jersey native, Stephen has a BS from Rutgers University-New Brunswick in mathematics, and is currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Georgia in number theory.
Don started participating in math enrichment programs in 2nd grade, and has now been teaching at a number of them for the past 15 years. He holds a BS in Mathematics from the University of Chicago, and a PhD in Mathematics from UCLA. When he’s not doing math, he loves cooking, solving and writing puzzles, and playing games of all varieties.
Olivia is a current undergraduate student at Harvey Mudd College studying Computer Science and Mathematics. She is passionate about mathematics and especially about combinatorics and number theory, having been a past participant of the Ross Mathematics Program. At Mudd, she is working on computer vision research and leads the mentorship program at the Society of Women Engineers. In her free time, she loves making art, ballroom dance, and learning new things.
As an early undergraduate Jake realized that math was much more than algorithms and computations – it is an interconnected web of concepts with an abundance of challenging questions to ask and solve. Jake received his MS in Mathematics from Missouri State University and is currently an instructor there. In addition, he has taught and written curriculum for Art of Problem Solving and has helped coach a local math competition team. In his free time he is likely playing music or studying music theory, practicing to become a better computer programmer, or hanging out with his wife and their three cats.
Born in Santa Ana, California, José graduated from Vassar College with a B.A. in Applied Mathematics with minors in Education and Computer Science. In the past, José has worked as both a Teaching and Research Assistant with the aim of making math more enjoyable for students as well as helping first generation, low income, and undocumented students. In his spare time, José enjoys playing video/board games, watching basketball, and jumping rope.
Benite is a continuing student at the University of California, Los Angeles majoring in computer science. As she finishes up her classes, she wants to give back to kids interested in STEM like she was. Currently, she tutors students in concepts anywhere from simple arithmetic to calculus. Outside of the classroom, she enjoys watching TV with her cat Varda, going to museums, spending time with family and friends, and trying new food!
Dillon is a lifelong math lover with over 7 years of experience as a math tutor, TA, and adjunct faculty member, working with learners of all ages and skill levels. His favorite part of math education is empowering students to become confident, independent, problem-solvers who trust their own mathematical intuition. He holds a B.S. in Math from Georgetown University and a M.S. in Data Science from Columbia University. In his spare time, Dillon enjoys watching anime, playing/watching basketball, and trying new foods.
Avi received his PhD in mathematics at Purdue University in 2019 and his BA in mathematics (and a minor in physics!) at Lawrence University in 2012. Since then, he has worked as a mathematician in Canada and Germany, and is now living in the Chicago area. Outside of math, Avi is an avid cellist and board game enthusiast.
Cindy is an undergraduate at MIT studying Mathematics and Computer Science. She has been passionate about math since participating in competitions and summer programs in high school. Outside of classes, she has conducted research on computation and craft and organized K-12 educational programs through student groups on campus. In her free time, she enjoys textile crafts including crochet and braiding, reading science fiction and fantasy, and eating fruit (especially plums).
President, Carina Initiatives
President, Polynera Fund
Advisor, Weiss Asset Management
Professor, Stanford University
President Elect, American Mathematical Society
Founder and CEO, National Math Stars