Bio

Erika Tatiana Camacho is an Assistant Professor in the School of Mathematical & Natural Sciences at Arizona State University. She grew up in East Los Angeles and was taught by Jaime Escalante at Garfield High School. She received her Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from Cornell University. She has held positions at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Loyola Marymount University, and ASU. Camacho co-founded and co-directed the Applied Mathematical Sciences Summer Institute (AMSSI), dedicated to the recruitment of undergraduate women, underrepresented minorities, and those that might not otherwise have the opportunity. She is summer co-director of the Mathematical & Theoretical Biology Institute (MTBI) focused on similar efforts.

Her current research is at the interface of mathematics, biology, physiology, and sociology and involves mathematically modeling degenerative eye diseases, gene networks within yeast, social networks, alcohol effects on a neuron firing, and fungal resistance under selective pressure.

Her leadership, scholarship, and mentoring has won her national recognition including the SACNAS Distinguished Undergraduate Mentoring Award in 2012 and the National Hispanic Women Corporation Latina Leadership Award in 2011, recognition as one of 12 Emerging Scholars of 2010 by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, and a citation for mentoring and guiding undergraduates in research by the U.S. National Security Agency. Some of her local recognitions include the Dr. Manuel Servin Faculty Award for excellence in exemplifying achievement in research, mentorship of Hispanic students, leadership at ASU and in the community in 2013, the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences Faculty Service Award in 2013, the 40 Hispanic Leaders Under 40 Award in 2012 and the ASU Faculty Women’s Association Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award in 2011.

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Publications

E. Camacho, L. Melara, C. Villalobos, S. Wirkus, 2013, "Optimal Control in the Treatment of Retinitis Pigmentosa," Bulletin of Mathematical Biology, DOI 10.1007/s11538-013-9919-1, online 21 Nov 2013.

E. Camacho, C. Kribs-Zaleta, S. Wirkus, 2013, "Metering Effects in Population Systems," Mathematical Biosciences and Engineering, 10(5-6): 1365-1379.

E. Camacho, 2013, "The Development and Interaction of Terrorist and Fanatic Groups," Communications in Nonlinear Science and Numerical Simulation, 18(11): 3086-3097.

E. Camacho, S. Wirkus, 2013, "Tracing the Progression of Retinitis Pigmentosa via Photoreceptor Interactions," Journal of Theoretical Biology, 317C: 105-118.