Marissa Maldonado

Bio

Hi, hello! I’m Marissa Maldonado. As a Native American woman in STEM, storytelling is the foundation of my work. While earning my Associate’s in Computer Science and Bachelor’s in Mathematics, I challenged myself to integrate creative projects into my curriculum. Students need to walk away with applicable skills and insight beyond the course syllabus – to see their identity in their work.

This led to multiple years of undergraduate research studying visual representations of discrete mathematics, curriculum design for university mathematics courses, and professional development for adult learners. My research intersects ethnography, data visualization, and emerging technologies with the goal of finding new mediums for students to document their creative vision and enable self-reflection.

As an MDes scholar, I will focus on developing educational technologies for college learning environments with an emphasis on portfolio development and andragogical curricula. Furthermore, as an Arcus Social Justice Fellow, I aim to provide mentorship and career guidance to minority populations entering higher education.

My work contributes to both academia and industry by offering creative roadmaps to lifelong learners through the connection of subject and self. I am a web designer, author, mathematician, and artist – but most importantly, a student of life.