Perla Lahana Myers, Ph.D., is the Executive Director of the Jacobs Institute for Innovation in Education in the School of Leadership and Education Sciences and a Professor of Mathematics in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of San Diego (USD). She earned her B.S. in Mathematics from the University of Houston with Honors, and her M.A. and Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of California, San Diego. Dr. Myers is passionate about achieving equity in education and diversifying the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields, and feels that one step towards these goals is changing the reaction people have when they hear the word mathematics to a smile.
Dr. Myers enjoys collaborating with colleagues, students and community partners to establish, cultivate and sustain culturally affirming mathematical/STEAM communities/experiences and promote inclusive innovation locally and abroad. She has been part of and led several initiatives to advance educational equity by enhancing the mathematical and STEM education of teachers, improving the preparation mathematicians to educate teachers, enriching the diversity of faculty, and broadening STEM participation and innovation.
Perla received USD’s Women of Impact Award, the Innovations in Experiential Education Award, and the Drinan Award for Exceptional Service, Ocean Discovery Institute’s Theresa and Drew Talley Scientific Mentorship Award, and the Mathematical Association of America Southern California-Nevada Section Award for Distinguished University Teaching of Mathematics and was named Woman of Valor by the San Diego Jewish Arts Festival. She was also selected to be a Notable Woman in Mathematics by the Association for Women in Mathematics project and is featured in the EvenQuads: Notable Women in Mathematics playing cards.
