Lina is an educator and a writer.
She began her career in New York City, where she completed a B.S in Operations Research and a M.A. in Mathematics Education from Columbia University. As she lived in and experienced New York City, she worked as an investment banker and then as a high school math teacher.
Lina’s passion for math education grew as she spent time in the classroom and worked with a diverse student population. She especially enjoyed conducting cognitive interviews with students to gain insights into their thinking. That passion brought her to California, where she completed her Ph.D. from the Graduate School of Education at the University of California, Berkeley.
Since she completed her Ph.D. in 2014, Lina has worked as a postdoctoral scholar at UC Berkeley and as a Research Associate at an educational research firm in Oakland. As a researcher, Lina fine-tuned many important skills; she focused on how to design studies, collect and analyze data, and communicate findings effectively to different audiences.
In 2017, Lina decided to explore opportunities outside of educational research. She continues to collaborate with professors and researchers on STEM education projects. She also works on curriculum development projects and is particularly passionate about writing children’s books that engage young children with math in imaginative ways.
Lina used to consider herself a New Yorker, but after a decade in the Bay Area, she now calls Berkeley her home. She lives there with her husband, two children, and parti poodle, and though she still misses a good New York slice, she finds comfort at The Cheese Board.