Maryam Mirzakhani, a professor of mathematics at Stanford University, is the recipient of the 2014 Fields Medal, considered by many as the “Nobel Prize of Mathematics.” Professor Mirzakhani is the first woman to ever be awarded the Fields Medal. The award was established in 1936.
The award recognizes Dr. Mirzakhani’s sophisticated and highly original contributions to the fields of geometry and dynamical systems, particularly in understanding the symmetry of curved surfaces.
“This is a great honor. I will be happy if it encourages young female scientists and mathematicians,” Professor Mirzakhani said. “I am sure there will be many more women winning this kind of award in coming years.”
Professor Mirzakhani has served on the Stanford faculty since 2008. Earlier, she taught at Princeton University. She is a graduate of the Sharif University of Technology in Tehran, Iran, and earned a Ph.D. at Harvard University.
It is unfortunate that this first comment following her Fields Medal in 2014 did not come until her recent passing. She appears to be a genius and a credit to knowledge in multiple ways. However, it just goes to show that, someone who makes understanding solid geometry as little easier and exciting, still gets ignored by the world at large.
RIP Maryam Mirzakhani 15 July 2017