Melania Alvarez Wins UBC Envisioning Equality Award 2022

Dr. Melania Alvarez is the BC Education Coordinator at PIMS and holds the title of Outreach Coordinator for the Department of Mathematics at UBC. 

The highlight of Melania's work is her outreach to Canada's Indigenous communities. She is without question the mainstay for the Pacific Institute's extensive outreach program. She is a key part of a partnership with First Nations schools, serving as a resource for enhancing the teaching of mathematics. She also steers partnerships with the Vancouver School Board, the Burnaby School Board, and the Urban Native Youth Association (UNYA) to amplify opportunities for Indigenous students in the Lower Mainland.

Although much of her focus is on working with Indigenous students, Melania Alvarez also plays an active role in promoting mathematics among the general population. Each year, she helps organize Math Mania an elementary mathematics contest at UBC; runs a math circle for students in grades 4-7, problem-solving workshops for students at elementary and secondary schools, math workshops for elementary and secondary school teachers and parents; and engages in active fundraising to support a wide range of education activities. She was the 2012 winner of the Adrien Pouliot Award, given by the Canadian Mathematical Society for significant contributions to mathematics education in Canada.