Oral history interview of Priyam Patel, conducted by Tallie Casucci (audio and transcript)

Priyam Patel (b. 1986) grew up in Bayonne, outside of New York City. She recalls the significant role of her family and education played in her childhood. She recounts large family gatherings and playing with her sisters and cousins in the streets. Priyam discusses several challenges of being a first generation Indian American, including growing up in a predominately White community, pursuing her mathematics career, and starting rock climbing. There were several early college and PhD mentors at NYU and Rutgers, who encouraged Priyam to continue her studies and research in mathematics. In turn, Priyam has continuously advocated for a more inclusive and supportive mathematics field for women and people of color. Priyam went to Purdue University and UC Santa Barbara for post-doctorate fellowships and eventually accepted a position at the University of Utah in the mathematics department. She loves teaching math and her research. In Santa Barbara, Priyam was introduced to rock climbing for its problem solving aspects. With Matt Burbach, Priyam helped start BIPOC at the Front Climbing Gym, which was later renamed Color the Wasatch in 2020. Priyam discusses several accomplishments and goals for Color the Wasatch and inclusivity in the climbing community by putting people first.