VECINA: Helping Mathematics Be a Good Neighbor

This conference talk by Carrie Diaz Eaton from Bates College explores the VECINA project (Visualizing Environmental and Community Information for Neighborhood Advocacy), presented at IPAM's LatMath 2025 Workshop at UCLA. Discover how Diaz Eaton reconnected with her Latinx roots in Providence, RI, while creating a mathematical initiative that serves community needs. Learn about this innovative academic-community partnership that combines mathematics, data analysis, and computing with advocacy work through the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council. The presentation details how VECINA gathers, analyzes, and makes data accessible for communities that need it, serving as a model for community-engaged undergraduate learning experiences while demonstrating how mathematics can be a "good neighbor" to communities in need.