DEI Events
Week Three- WHM Weekly Highlight -Friday, March 17, 2023
Dr. Maryam Mirzakhani was born in Tehran, Iran in 1977. She was a talented student from a young age and was twice awarded gold medals in the International Mathematical Olympiad as a teenager. Mirzakhani attended Sharif University of Technology in Iran before pursuing graduate studies in the United States. She earned a Ph.D. in mathematics from Harvard University. Mirzakhani went on to hold faculty positions at Princeton University and Stanford University, where she continued her groundbreaking research in mathematics. In 2014, Mirzakhani became the first woman and first Iranian to receive the prestigious Fields Medal, often referred to as the "Nobel Prize of Mathematics." Mirzakhani went on to hold positions at Princeton University and Stanford University, where she continued her work in mathematics, particularly in the study of complex surfaces and geometry. Her research focused on understanding the structure of surfaces, such as spheres, doughnuts and hyperbolic shapes, and the way that they can be manipulated and transformed. Her work had implications not only for pure mathematics, but also for fields such as theoretical physics and computer science.
Maryam Mirzakhani was a highly respected mathematician, and her contributions to the field were recognized with numerous awards and honors. In addition to the Fields Medal, she received the Clay Research Award and the Satter Prize from the American Mathematical Society, among others. She was also elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2017. Tragically, Mirzakhani passed away in 2017 at the age of 40, following a battle with breast cancer. Her legacy continues to inspire and influence the next generation of mathematicians, particularly young women and girls who may see themselves in her story and be encouraged to pursue their own passions in STEM fields.
Women in Iran have faced numerous challenges when it comes to education and pursuing their academic goals. While women make up more than half of Iran's university students, they are often subject to discrimination and bias in the classroom and in the job market. Despite these challenges, many Iranian women have persevered and excelled in their academic pursuits. They have worked very hard to overcome these obstacles, often with support of their families and communities and not the educational system and have made significant contributions to a variety of fields, both in Iran and abroad.
Week Two - WHM Weekly Highlight -Friday, March 10, 2023
Dr. Aprille Ericsson is an inspiring woman in the field of engineering, known for her pioneering work in the aerospace industry. She was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, and went on to earn her Bachelor's degree in aeronautical/astronautical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), followed by a Master's and PhD in mechanical engineering from Howard University. Ericsson-Jackson is the first African-American woman to receive a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Howard University and the first African-American woman to receive a Ph.D. in Engineering at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC).
Dr. Ericsson's career highlights include her work at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, where she played a key role in the development of instruments for several spacecraft missions, including the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope. In addition, she has held various leadership roles in the aerospace industry, including serving as the Technical Lead for the Instrument Manager for the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission and as the Deputy Project Manager for the Solar Terrestrial Probes (STP) program.
Dr. Ericsson is also a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion in STEM fields, and has been involved in numerous initiatives to encourage underrepresented groups to pursue careers in engineering and science. In recognition of her contributions, she has received several awards, including the Black Engineer of the Year Award, the Women of Color Technology Award, and the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring.
Overall, Dr. Aprille Ericsson is an inspiring figure who has made significant contributions to the field of engineering, and continues to inspire and empower future generations of scientists and engineers, particularly women and people of color.
Week One - Women’s History Month Kick-off Event
Friday, March 3, 2023
9:30 – 10:30 a.m.
Computer Studies Building 426
Join us this Friday when Afagh Farhadi (PhD) will give a short talk on:
“A more accurate and detailed Auditory Model with inclusion of the Efferent Feedback system (descending auditory pathway) helps with understanding the mechanism of listening in noise”