Use these ready-to-go slides to celebrate Women's History Month. Explore profiles of 10 women mathematicians, complete with resources and discussion questions.

Find ready-to-go slides for these profiles - and more! - in the Math in Action slide deck.

Dr. Kimberly Ayers

Dr. Kimberly Ayers is an Assistant Professor at California State University San Marcos, doing research in dynamical systems and ergodic theory.

Dr. Juliette Bruce

Dr. Juliette Bruce is a postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Mathematics at Brown University.

Shakuntala Devi

Known as “The Human Computer”, Shakuntala Devi was a famous mathematician who holds the Guinness World Record for the “Fastest Human Computation.” In addition to her computational prowess, Devi was also an outspoken LGBTQ+ advocate, novelist, and political hopeful. 

Dr. Pamela Harris

Dr. Harris is a Mexican-American mathematician and professor at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee. She also co-founded Lathisms.org, a platform that features the contributions of Latine and Hispanic mathematicians and co-hosts the podcast Mathematically Uncensored.

Dr. Euphemia Lofton Haynes

Dr. Haynes was a prominent educator, leader, and advocate for Black students. She was the first Black woman to earn a doctorate in mathematics in 1943.

Josephine Jue

Josephine Jue is a mathematician and aerospace technologist who spent more than thirty years working behind-the-scenes on computers and software at NASA (from the American Mathematical Society).

Dr. Marissa Kawehi Loving

Dr. Loving is an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is "the first Native Hawaiian woman to obtain a PhD in mathematics… not the first Native Hawaiian woman to develop mathematical tools to solve problems or to engage deeply in analytical exploration." (from her website)

Dr. Maryam Mirzakhani

Dr. Maryam Mirzakhani was a highly-decorated mathematician who believed “you have to spend some energy and effort to see the beauty of math”. She won the Fields Medal in 2014 for her exceptional contributions to the study of the dynamics and geometry of mathematical objects called Riemann surfaces.

Dr. Swati Patel

Dr. Patel is a mathematical biologist and an assistant professor at Oregon State University Math Department. Her research focuses on modeling population dynamics of different living organisms. In 2019, she co-founded the Math For All conference, to foster inclusivity in mathematics research. (from her website)

Dr. Gladys West

Dr. Gladys West is a mathematician whose work modeling the Earth was instrumental to the development of the GPS systems we still use today. She has a bachelor's and master's degree in Mathematics, as well as a master's degree and PhD in public administration.

About the Author

Kathryn Dawson

Kathryn (she/her) is excited to join the NGPF team after 9 years of experience in education as a mentor, tutor, and special education teacher. She is a graduate of Cornell University with a degree in policy analysis and management and has a master's degree in education from Brooklyn College. Kathryn is looking forward to bringing her passion for accessibility and educational justice into curriculum design at NGPF. During her free time, Kathryn loves embarking on cooking projects, walking around her Seattle neighborhood with her dog, or lounging in a hammock with a book.

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