Lara Pudwell is a Full Professor and the Dixon W. and Herta E. Benz Professor in the Department of Mathematics & Statistics at Valparaiso University. She specializes in enumerative combinatorics, permutation patterns, and undergraduate research mentoring. Her work often explores pattern avoidance in permutations, rook monoids, and combinatorial structures. Education: Ph.D. in Mathematics, Rutgers University (2008) B.S. and B.A., Valparaiso University (2003) Research Interests: Lara’s research focuses on permutation patterns, combinatorial enumeration, and the application of combinatorial methods to problems in algebra, geometry, and theoretical computer science. She is particularly known for her work on pattern-avoiding permutations and enumeration schemes, as well as her contributions to undergraduate research and mentoring. Professional Activities: Lara has been an invited speaker at conferences such as the Sonia Kovalevsky Day and has participated in organizing events like MathPath. She actively contributes to mathematical communities through talks, journal articles, and mentoring programs. Labs/Teams: She collaborates with interdisciplinary teams and mentors students in research projects, including those supported by NSF grants. Her work often involves experimental mathematics and computational tools for combinatorial analysis.









