Congratulations to Keyla! The following excerpt is taken from The Lathisms.org’s 
website:
Keyla Pagán Rivera was born and raised in Puerto Rico. Like many first-generation students, her path into the mathematical sciences was not linear. She earned her bachelor’s degree in secondary math education from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Puerto Rico, graduating as valedictorian of the College of Education. Encouraged by her mentors and curiosity, she pursued a master’s in applied mathematics at the University of Puerto Rico, where she discovered biostatistics, a field that bridged her interest in math with real-world impact.
Keyla went on to earn a Ph.D. in Biostatistics from the University of Iowa. While there, she navigated cultural and language barriers and worked as a statistical consultant to the College of Dentistry, earning a graduate research award and the College of Public Health’s Dean’s Achievement Award. She was also the inaugural recipient of the Kathryn M. Chaloner Memorial Scholarship. Her dissertation proposed a Bayesian hierarchical method to model true radon exposure and its effect on lung cancer, accounting for subject-specific factors and missing data.
Dr. Pagán Rivera most recently worked at the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA), where she supported the Office of the Director, Operational Test and Evaluation. She applied statistical methods to the evaluation of military systems and led training initiatives. As a Project Leader, she oversaw the Training, Tools, and External Engagement task, aligning technical support and workforce development with evolving sponsor priorities.
Keyla’s contributions to the mathematical sciences lie at the intersection of applied statistics, mentorship, and professional development. At the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA), her work supported the evaluation of complex defense systems through the application of experimental design, Bayesian methods, and other statistical techniques. As described in more detail below, she focused on making these methods accessible and actionable for interdisciplinary teams involved in test and evaluation. Keyla developed and delivered targeted training on statistical concepts and methods for analysts at IDA. Her instruction emphasized clarity, examples, and thoughtful integration of statistical thinking into program evaluation and planning. She also served as a mentor in IDA’s Summer Associate Program, where she co-mentored five graduate students. Under her guidance, students produced technical presentations and manuscripts, gaining experience in both applied research and effective science communication. In addition to research and mentorship, Keyla contributed significantly to community-building within the field. She co-chaired the Defense and Aerospace Test and Analysis Workshop (DATAWorks), collaborating with NASA, the Director, Operational Test and Evaluation, and the American Statistical Association. In this role, she helped shape the workshop’s technical program to reflect current challenges in data analysis, modeling, and evaluation, while fostering collaboration across government, academia, and industry.
Dr. Pagán Rivera is passionate about mentorship, equitable training, and expanding access to quantitative careers. Outside of work, Keyla enjoys cooking Puerto Rican food, making jewelry, and spending time with loved ones.