Maryam Mirzakhani
First woman to win the Fields Medal, math's top honor.
Their Story
Maryam Mirzakhani was an Iranian-American mathematician who studied the geometry of curved surfaces. In 2014 she became the first woman, and first Iranian, to win the Fields Medal, one of the highest awards in mathematics. She described her work as solving puzzles and loved drawing pictures to think through ideas.
Era
2000s & Today
Field
Mathematics
Maryam Mirzakhani
First woman to win the Fields Medal, math's top honor.
Math · Mathematics · 2000s & Today · Women in STEM, Immigrant Innovators
Their Story
Maryam Mirzakhani was an Iranian-American mathematician who studied the geometry of curved surfaces. In 2014 she became the first woman, and first Iranian, to win the Fields Medal, one of the highest awards in mathematics. She described her work as solving puzzles and loved drawing pictures to think through ideas.
Key Innovation
Made breakthrough discoveries about the geometry and dynamics of curved surfaces.
Why It Matters Today
She proved that mathematics is for everyone and inspired girls worldwide to pursue careers in math.
Learn More
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maryam_Mirzakhani
Wilkinson STEM Education Foundation · 251 American Innovators · wilkinsonstemfoundation.org
