Professor Diva is …

a) a social media personality

b) a theoretical physicist

c) a trained dancer

d) all of the above

Young man smiling in beige double-breasted suit in front of historic building with stone facade and windows.

Who am I ?

  • My real name is Raresh Fota. Nice to meet you. 

    I am a theoretical physicist, studying why particles stay together to form matter.

    I’m currently pursuing a PhD in quantum chromo-dynamics at the University of Illinois, in Urbana Champaign. In 2024, I graduated from UCLA with a degree in Physics and research-based departmental highest honors. 

    Academically, my research focuses on how the nuclear force builds matter at a particle level using computer simulations. 

    I deeply enjoy teaching and have been repeatedly voted as an “outstanding” teaching assistant by my students, in their yearly reviews.

    All that aside, I'm also a dancer! My favorite style is dancing in heels due to how charismatic, sleek and sexy it is. 

  • Last year, I began teaching more students … through a different medium.

    I started recording videos breaking down complex topics in simple terms. At times, I found it fun to combine my passion for physics with my other passion: dancing. I started appearing in those videos wearing my dancing shoes. 

    That was the birth of Professor Diva, the physicist in heels. 

    After a while, my students began asking for explainer videos pertaining to chemistry, biology and other topics they were having a hard time grasping.

    In time, physics became only one of the sciences Professor Diva covers.

    In the last year alone, 13 of my videos have garnered over 1 million views.

    My video explaining ionic bonds got over 2.5 million views, while another one covering Newton’s laws got 5.8 million views. 

  • One of my followers summarized it perfectly: “complex topics, zero intimidation.“

    My video series Explaining science in heels has gathered tens of millions of views online and introduced a large population to new ways of visualizing abstract topics such as quantum mechanics or particle physics.

    I combine performing arts with abstract theoretical physics in my innovative "professor diva technique" of teaching physical sciences accessibly through snappy, engaging, and entertaining videos.

  • To me, physics is the poetry of nature.

    I believe everyone can understand physics, and it's truly a joy getting to usher others into this field — or help them understand other sciences.

    It’s time we stopped acting like science is a joy reserved for a select few. Come on.

    Science is an innately human endeavor, and anyone can be a scientist. They just need the right way in.

Check out my videos

What do my followers say?

  • "Omg it's so much clearer when I get to visualize it!!"

    — @herbgarden_president, comment on Instagram, under my Newton’s Laws explainer

  • "If I had a teacher like that, I'd probably be a scientist"

    —@svoesiyanye, comment on Instagram,

  • "Where was this when I was almost failing physics??"

    — @emgi_art, comment on Instagram under my explainer on waves and oscillations

  • "Diva, your presence curves my spacetime, and my heart can't help but orbit you."

    — @anoushka_in_orbit, comment on Instagram

  • "We stan LGBT people in STEM"

    — @dabit.methyd, comment on Instagram

  • "You look fabulous in those heels, but you won't be able to wear them in the lab because they're open-toed"

    — @galacticjuice, comment on Instagram