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 University of Maryland student E. Ozie is publishing her first novel, The Beautiful Math of Coral, in April 2021. Her curiosity about the underexplored applications of STEM sets the stage for her debut novel, an exploration of STEM, art, and all the intangible things in between.
“My book is set in college and follows the story of two people who discover the beauty behind art and STEM while also trying to figure out college and engineering together,” E. Ozie says. “STEM is such a broad term, yet women, Black people, and Latinx people continue to be some of the most underrepresented groups in the U.S. STEM workforce.”
Through the art of storytelling, E. Ozie showcases the experiences faced byCoral, a Nigerian-American, and Fernando, a Mexican-American, while majoring in STEM. As they are part of the minority, like so many others in the STEM community, Coral and Fernando are part of the change to close the STEM gap for marginalized students.
E. Ozie’s need to take big or abstract concepts and relate them to real life was a great inspiration for the story. Growing up, E. Ozie’s dad hoped she would pursue engineering while Ozie wanted to study art. Along her journey, E. Ozie found a balance for both science and art, and she shares the beauty of that balance through Coral’s and Fernando’s story in The Beautiful Math of Coral.
Like the characters in her novel, E. Ozie relates her education to her craft. During a mechanics course taught by Dr. Jarred Young, E. Ozie recognized the value of moments and forces and used those concepts to guide her story.
While Coral is a freshman in college, a time in her life that is riddled with new directions and opportunities, E. Ozie aims to show the beauty in new directions, especially when given the chance to overlap STEM and art.
“I was drawn to those [intangible] things because I feel like when most people think about science or mathematics, they don’t think about the word ‘beautiful,’” E. Ozie says. “I wanted to show that there is an unconventional beauty in STEM.”
E. Ozie describes her novel as one of “love and college wrapped in science and humor.”
“It’s a STEM plus art story that unfolds with love, humor, and discovery,” she says. “And I feel like that’s a different perspective of STEM.”
However, The Beautiful Math of Coral is also a story about struggle and belonging. Coral and Fernando represent everyone struggling to find their own place in the world, especially those who do not feel like they have a set path. Yet, E. Ozie’s message to readers is clear: “Everyone should know that they are all a part of the beautiful math of life.”
E. Ozie is a mechanical engineering major who transferred to the department internally this past fall. She is a Northrop Grumman Diversity Scholarship recipient, a member of the LSAMP Transfer Connections program, and she serves on the LSAMP STEM Club Board.
Learn more and pre-order The Beautiful Math of Coral today.
Follow along on E. Ozie’s writing and publishing journey through social media:
Instagram: @eezoroyiwrites
Twitter: @eezowrites
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