At a time when diversity, equity and inclusion programs are under attack at public universities across the country, the voice of Padi Fuster Aguilera rings out with conviction. A Catalan mathematician, postdoctoral researcher at the University of Colorado-Boulder and outspoken advocate for social justice, Fuster Aguilera stands at the intersection of science, education and activism. From academic halls to city council meetings, her commitment to equity challenges a culture of silence.
La Ciudad caught up with Fuster Aguilera outside the KGNU studios in Boulder as part of “Migrant Tree: Stories,” a series focused on the contributions of immigrants in Colorado. In this conversation, Padi shares how differential equations, community work and everyday courage guide her life and fuel her resistance.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
🎙️La Ciudad: Padi, what brought you to Boulder?
Padi Fuster Aguilera: I moved here in 2021 for a postdoc in applied mathematics at CU-Boulder. My research focuses on differential equations, but I’m also passionate about access and inclusion in math education. I want to show that math isn’t just for elites; it belongs to everyone.
🎙️La Ciudad: How do you use your voice for activism?
Fuster Aguilera: I attend Boulder City Council meetings to demand a ceasefire resolution and urge the city to divest from companies profiting from the genocide in Gaza. It’s the least we can do.
🎙️La Ciudad: Has your activism come at a cost?
Fuster Aguilera: Yes. I was suspended from council sessions for holding a small protest sign; they said it disrupted the meeting. I was also named on a list published by (Texas) Senator Ted Cruz targeting scholars with DEI-focused grants. In February, my National Science Foundation fellowship was frozen because it promotes diversity. CU has remained silent on the suspension of Palestinian students and the revocation of their visas, but I won’t stay quiet. I have privilege: I’m white, a citizen, cisgender. If I don’t speak out, who will?
🎙️La Ciudad: What community efforts are you involved in?
Fuster Aguilera: I co-founded Math for All and organized Mates para Todes, bilingual math talks featuring Spanish-speaking scholars. I also support Slice of Hope, a mutual aid group raising funds for families in Gaza. We organize teach-ins, grow food, and screen-print shirts to raise funds. We can’t wait for institutions to save us; we have to support one another.
🎙️La Ciudad: What keeps you going in hard times?
Fuster Aguilera: The students. They risk everything to protest and demand justice. I recently received CU’s Inclusive Excellence Award and used that platform to read aloud students’ demands to the university president. If we don’t model courage, how will they know it’s possible? When things feel heavy, I think of the people in Gaza who are still surviving. If they haven’t given up, neither can I.
🎙️La Ciudad: You’ve previously mentioned your concern about the environmental impact of artificial intelligence. Could you expand on that?
Fuster Aguilera: Absolutely. Artificial intelligence poses not only ethical and social challenges, but also environmental ones. The data centers powering AI consume enormous amounts of electricity—often from nonrenewable sources—and require millions of gallons of water for cooling.
For example, it’s estimated that data centers could consume up to 945 terawatt-hours annually by 2030, nearly triple the United Kingdom’s total electricity use in 2023 (IEA report). Additionally, a study from the University of Massachusetts Amherst found that training a single state-of-the-art AI model can emit over 284,000 pounds of carbon dioxide, the equivalent of five cars’ lifetime emissions.
It’s crucial that we address these impacts and pursue sustainable solutions in the development and use of AI.