Born: 1962 (Bilbao, Spain)
Biography:
Marta Macho Stadler was born in Bilbao in 1962 and is a renowned Basque mathematician with expertise in scientific divulgation. She currently teaches undergraduate courses on geometry and topology at the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU. Her research area focuses on the Geometric Theory of Foliations and Noncommutative Geometry.
Macho Stadler earned her degree in mathematics from the University of the Basque Country in 1985 before embarking on a career as a lecturer in the Department of Mathematics at the same university. In 1987, she conducted research with Professor Gilbert Hector at the University Claude Bernard in Lyon, where she completed her Ph.D. thesis, titled Isomorphisme de Thom pour les feuilletages presque sans holonomie (Thom isomorphism for foliation almost without holonomy), in 1996. She is currently an associate professor of geometry and topology at the UPV/EHU.
As an educator, Macho Stadler teaches topology and ampliation of topology in the undergraduate degree program at the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU. Additionally, she leads the optional topic Mathematics in daily life: society and culture in the Classroom of Experience of Biscay UPV/EHU. Moreover, she serves as an instructor for the master’s degree in modelling and mathematics research, statistics and computing (MATG6), and the specific master in mathematics and applied mathematics research.
Beyond academia, Macho Stadler has made significant contributions to scientific divulgation. Her involvement began in 1999 when she collaborated in organizing a conference cycle titled A stroll through geometry for ten academic years. One of her main interests in divulgation is promoting the visibility of women’s contributions in the scientific world.
Macho Stadler’s dedication to promoting women’s contributions extends beyond her divulgation work. She is a member of the Women’s Commission of the Royal Spanish Mathematical Society (RSME) and actively collaborates in various social activities aimed at improving the connection between science and civil society. Her passion for scientific divulgation led her to explore the presence of mathematics in literature, analyzing the relationship between scientific content and mathematical structure in texts from novels, comics, poetry, and plays. She notably contributes to the sections Literature and Mathematics and Theatre and Mathematics in DivulgaMAT of the RSME.
Macho Stadler’s commitment to bridging the gap between science and society extends to her work in cultural spaces and educational institutions. She has collaborated with several blogs, including ZTFNews.org (Science and Technology Department, UPV/EHU) and Cuaderno de cultura científica (Scientific culture notebook, Scientific Culture Chair, UPV/EHU). Furthermore, she organizes the cultural event Ellas hacen ciencia (They make science), which celebrates women in science and is held regularly.
Awards:
– Emakunde Equality Prize 2006
Marta Macho Stadler’s impressive contributions in the field of mathematics and her dedication to scientific divulgation, particularly the visibility of women’s contributions, have left a lasting impact. Her work as an educator, researcher, and advocate for women in science solidifies her place as a influential figure in mathematics and women’s history.