Dr Cristina Villalobos — Myles and Sylvia Aaronson endowed professor in the School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), Director of the Center of Excellence in STEM Education, and Fellow of the American Mathematical Society — talks to Nature Computational Science about her work on empowering underrepresented groups in STEM education and gives her insights into the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) related to equitable education and gender equality.