Mayleen Cortez
Dr. Mayleen Cortez-Rodriguez earned her Applied Mathematics Ph.D. from Cornell University in August 2026 and is currently a postdoc at Real Good AI, an ethical AI research nonprofit. She graduated from California State University, Channel Islands in 2020 with a B.S. in Math and a minor in Computer Science. She is a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship recipient. Her current research interests lie in ethical/responsible AI and causal inference experimental design/methodology. She is broadly interested in applications related to social good. As a daughter to Salvadoran immigrants, Mayleen is also invested in making mathematical spaces inclusive and welcoming for underrepresented groups in math. Click below to read more!
News & Events
Ethical AI Postdoctoral Researcher
In July 2026, Mayleen began a postdoctoral research position at Real Good AI, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to "illuminate the black box" by researching and communicating transparency in AI.
Data Science for Social Good
Mayleen just wrapped up a 12-week summer internship with Real Good AI, which in addition to being a research organization also offers free data science consulting to nonprofits doing good. During her internship, Mayleen created an open source educational app that helps nonprofits plan for the future.
Teaching Causal Inference
In Fall 2024 semester, Mayleen co-taught an undergraduate causal inference course with Professor Y. Samuel Wang in the Department of Statistics and Data Science at Cornell University.
Science Policy and Advocacy
Mayleen was an American Mathematical Society Catalyzing Advocacy in Science and Engineering (CASE) Fellow in 2024. She was sponsored to attend the CASE Workshop in Washington, D.C. to learn about the federal policy-making process and science research advocacy.
