Diana Ribas was born in São Paulo, Brazil. Her admiration for cultural diversity was sparked during her final year of high school when she lived in England while her mother completed part of  her PhD where she meet people from different countries such as Turkey, Japan, Denmark, Norway, Mexico and more. Raised by parents deeply committed to improving STEM education—her mother a physicist and her father a mathematician—Diana was encouraged to see the beauty of science and its connections to everyday life. In 2021, she moved with her beloved husband Thiago, a Fulbright PhD candidate, to the United States, where Boulder has become their home.

Diana holds an undergraduate degree in Biology and a master’s in Teaching and the History of Science and Mathematics from the Federal University of ABC (UFABC) in Brazil. She has taught in both classroom and informal settings for more than 10 years, supporting pre-service teachers and youth outreach programs across Brazil and the United States. Her master’s research focused on citizen science and nurturing scientific literacy in elementary students. Diana is passionate about inquiry-based learning, fostering students’ curiosity and critical thinking, and creating connections through integrated STEM and STEAM curricula. From 2023 to 2025, she worked as a researcher at the University of Colorado Boulder, exploring organizational change processes in STEM higher education. Above all, she strives to show students that science is an open pathway to beautiful discoveries that they can actively participate in.

Outside of teaching, Diana finds immense joy in motherhood. Parenting her creative and curious toddler, Giordano, brings continual inspiration as she delights in nurturing his interests and watching his personality blossom. She enjoys running along Boulder’s creek path with her family—often pausing to observe prairie dogs, bugs, and wildflowers—and finds joy in working on personal sewing projects.

She believes in the power of connection—between people, within communities, and with the natural world. She is endlessly fascinated by the diversity around us and believes there is always something to learn from everyone and everything. As she often reflects, no two grains of sand are alike, and that is a beautiful reminder of the uniqueness all around us. She is thrilled and thankful to join Mountain Shadows International Montessori School. She looks forward to learning, growing, and building joyful relationships within this inspiring community.