About W.Y. Velez
Dr. William Y. Velez retired as a Distinguished Professor of Mathematics at The University of Arizona (UA), the same institution from which he earned his doctorate in 1975. His lifelong passion of teaching and mentoring young people spanned his 42-year career at UA, where he touched the lives of thousands of students. Over a period of 14 years, the UA Math Center, under Velez’s directorship, increased the number of UA Math Majors from 250 to over 650, largely by encouraging students to just take “one more math course.” Dr. Velez was particularly gratified to help first-generation students succeed in college and helped many students make the transition from the community college to the university.
Dr. Velez has traveled extensively around the country and the world giving lectures and has served as a President of SACNAS, the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science.
This Fund is intended to continue his legacy by supporting undergraduate students majoring in mathematical sciences.
Scholarship
- U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents
- Majoring in mathematics (including mathematics education), statistics and data science, data science, or any other undergraduate majors housed within the Department of Mathematics.
- Priority will be given to students who demonstrate interest in or provide evidence of advancing the participation of underrepresented groups in
mathematical pursuits.
Selected by the Undergraduate Committee (UGC).
Past Recipients
- Dora Elalaoui-Pinedo, 2026
- Matias Contreras Prieto, 2025
- Arian Sage, 2025
- Sentia Nishimwe, 2024
- Isaiah Sandoval, 2024
- Austin Gulotta, 2020
- Alexis Vizzerra, 2020
