HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH AT PHYSICAL SCIENCES
It’s Hispanic Heritage Month, which means from now until October 15th, we’ll be shining lights on the Hispanic and Latinx members of the School of Physical Sciences community, who themselves cast new light onto the many-varied fields they study. They’re casting light on the Amazon rainforest, where they’re trying to characterize the different types of wildfire that spread through the rainforest, and where they’re trying to understand how, if enough trees die in the rainforest due to climate change-driven droughts, the rainforest’s ecosystems will collapse. And beyond this planet, they’re studying why some galaxies stop creating new stars, and they’re working to measure the distribution of metals in those galaxies. Whether Earth-bound or star-bound, or whether they work behind the scenes making sure the rest of the Physical Sciences community hears their stories, our Hispanic and Latinx scientists and staff make our School hum.
Alberto Takase, Ph.D. student, Department of Mathematics
PS: Tell us about yourself and your research.
AT: Hello, my name is Alberto Takase. I’m a fifth-year Ph.D. mathematics student at UCI. My family immigrated to the Chicago-land area from Peru when I was three years old. I grew up in Illinois, and I’m a recent Californian. Growing up, I learned Spanish at home, and I learned English at school. However, I did not have anyone to teach me about higher education and its many nuances. Even so, I’m very grateful for the sacrifices and efforts my parents went through to be able to always provide food, a bed, clothes, warm showers, and much more.
With my parents as a source of inspiration, I finished my Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics at Northwestern University, and in a couple years, I hope to be conferred the Ph.D. in Mathematics at UCI. My research is in the intersection of Dynamical Systems and Mathematical Physics. I study multidimensional quasiperiodic Schrödinger operators and their spectra.
PS: What advice do you have for Hispanic students who are considering a career in STEM?
AT: I answered personal struggles in my life by valuing my education. I started with taking more advanced courses in mathematics. My journey towards higher education began that way. My parents couldn’t help me pursue higher education, so I took education into my own hands. I’m the reason for my entrance into higher education; my parents’ entrance into the United States and their sacrifices and efforts are the reason for that opportunity.