Ed. note: This story appears in the first issue of Georgia Tech Engineers, the new magazine from the College of Engineering. To request a copy, please email the editor at editor@coe.gatech.edu. Watch for the second issue early in 2014.

It is called the unbridled dance. Dramatic but elegant; sophisticated yet passionate. Born in the lesser quarters of Buenos Aires and Montevideo in the late nineteenth century, tango is danced worldwide from Quais de Seine in Paris to Pudong of Shanghai, China. From all walks of life, individuals and couples flock to the flowing melodies. In the sea of dancers, moving with explicit synchronization is Dr. Nicoleta Serban, a professor in the Stewart School of Industrial & Systems Engineering.

Serban travels cross country and around the globe as part of her work, presenting her research, interacting with other researchers, and participating in study abroad programs, among other things. She describes herself as an experienced data analyst who is passionate about developing statistical methodology in any research domain from molecular biology to predictive health.  But wherever in the world she finds herself, she seeks out the comfort of the milongas, which is the name given to tango dance reunions: her second passion in life.

"This is actually one of the best ways to meet people when you travel," says Serban. "It is a safe way to go out in a new city and interact with the local community. With tango you are never alone. Everyone there comes for one reason: It is all about the dance."

Tango, it seems, has some very set rules. The invitation to dance is extended by the man and most often through eye contact. You may wonder if language might be a barrier, but as Serban explains, “You don’t necessarily need to talk to engage. It is really all about eye contact, and a few words in between dances.”

The milongas also serve as a microcosm of society. “All walks of life are found,” says Serban. “Teachers, professors, students, truck drivers, business executives, everyone. The only important thing is to dance well.”  Age, race, ethnicity, where you come from, profession and education are of no importance. There is no discrimination except at the level of the dancing.

For a professor who works with numbers all day, the tango provides another research opportunity. “Social intelligence is learned on the dance floor,” says Serban. “The psychology of social interaction is evident. Tango is complex not just in the dance but in the way it is conveyed.”

Has tango taught the professor anything she could use at Georgia Tech? “One of the most valuable things I have learned from tango is how to follow,” says Serban. “I am not used to following. As an academic, I am more prone to leading, in the classroom and in my research. But in tango, you close your eyes and let yourself be led. Feel the moves, feel the dance. The context of following, for me, is extremely challenging but is valuable in dealing with people in and outside of work.”

To become a professor takes patience, so perhaps the tango is the perfect dance for this statistician. “Everyone can do it but it also takes a persistent personality to be good at tango,” explains Serban. “It takes about two years to be comfortable as a dancer. It takes about four years to tango well and as much as 10 years to be really good at it.”

Serban received her B.S. in mathematics and her Ph.D. in statistics at Carnegie Mellon University. Before joining Tech, her research focused on nonparametric statistical methods with application to molecular biology. Since then she has shifted gears and moved toward research areas more relevant to industrial and systems engineering. She has developed statistical methodology and applied statistics to industrial economics and degradation modeling in engineering systems, with a recent focus on healthcare access and predictive health. Her life of studies, research and travel has had one constant: the tango.

Unsurprisingly, Serban likes order, details, precision and complex reasoning. All those things are found in tango.

“There is so much complexity in the steps, the rhythm, and in the dance partners,” she explains. “They all dance different moves, each one has his style, and the best dancers communicate their moves very subtly. That is why the tango, when well performed, is so hard.”

Berlin and Buenos Aires ranked at the top of her best places to tango.

“Each place seems to have a different style, but once you understand tango, any place is like home. I have danced in Bucharest, Ljubljana, Shanghai, Paris, London, and more. Language – no problem,” adds Serban. “The language is the dance.”