November 12, 2001 New Faculty Paul Ortiz Assistant Professor of Community Studies UCSC Photo Services Paul Ortiz is a historian who specializes in U.S. social and political history with an emphasis on comparative social movements. His dissertation, "'Like Water Covered the Sea': The African American Freedom Struggle in Florida, 1877-1920," describes the widespread yet little-known efforts by African Americans in Florida to regain the vote and to organize around labor issues and economic issues. Ortiz earned his Ph.D. in history from Duke University and earned his B.A. from Evergreen State College, where he studied history and political economy. From 1982-86, Ortiz served in the U.S. Army in North Carolina and Central America, which he describes as the beginning of his "political education." He was a visiting assistant professor in history and documentary studies at Duke University before coming to UCSC. Raquel Prado Assistant Professor of Applied Mathematics and Statistics UCSC Photo Services Raquel Prado develops methods of statistical analysis for biomedical and other applications. Her research includes the study of electroencephalogram traces from patients who received electroconvulsive therapy as treatment for depression, and the analysis and classification of electrocardiographic signals recorded from patients with different levels of heart disease. She is also working on statistical models for analyzing the genetics of malaria parasites. Prado received her B.S. in statistics and applied mathematics from Simón Bolívar University in Venezuela and her M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in statistics and decision sciences from Duke University. Before joining the UCSC faculty, she was an assistant professor of statistics and scientific computing at Simón Bolívar University. Return to Front Page