Priscila Neves Faria is a Mathematician, educator, and advocate for equity in data science education. An accomplished scholar born and educated in Brazil, Priscila is bilingual in Portuguese and English. Priscila’s collaborative work spans multiple teams, and her extensive experience is reflected in her academic journey, which include a Ph.D. in Science with a specialization in Statistics and Agronomic Experimentation from the University of São Paulo, alongside a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and a Master’s degree in Applied Statistics.

She has more than 15 years of teaching and research experience across two continents, including her long-standing role as an Associate Professor of Statistics at the University Federal of Uberlândia, Brazil. At North Carolina State University’s Data Science and AI Academy, she teaches the course Exploratory Data Analysis for Big Data. Empowering students to solve real-world problem, Priscila develops and delivers innovative, hands-on learning experiences that bridge theoretical knowledge and practical application.

In the U.S., Priscila serves as Leader and Mentor of a Data Science Club for high school girls, a pioneering initiative that empowers young women with the skills, confidence, and leadership to thrive in data-driven fields. Designed with the vision of serving as a model for other schools in future years, the program reflects her commitment to expanding data literacy and opportunity. Her expertise in data science has been recognized through significant appointments, including her roles as a WiDS (Women in Data Science) speaker and ambassador and as a member of the NSF-funded Learning Analytics in STEM Education Research (LASER) Institute 2025 cohort.

Priscila brings both technical expertise and lived experience to her mission of opening doors in STEM. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and their 8-year-old son, where she continues to inspire the next generation of changemakers in data science.