Waterloo celebrates Women in Mathematics Day

May 10, 2022 - PhD candidate who uses math models to better understand seizures says the most challenging part of pursuing mathematics is the lack of other women in the discipline - By Robin Morden Faculty of Mathematics - Maliha Ahmed's passion for math was sparked by her Grade 8 teacher Miss Crawford: "She was so enthusiastic about the subject and helped us see that math can be fun - that it wasn't just paper and pen kind of work." Now a PhD candidate in Applied Mathematics, Ahmed uses mathematical models to better understand the role of hormones in the resolution of seizures. Yet, like so many women in the male-dominated field, her academic path hasn't always been easy. "The most challenging part about being a woman in math is just this feeling of intimidation due to the lack of other women around me," Ahmed says. "I have seen my female colleagues and friends being told at times, 'I think you should let this be. Maybe try something else.' And that is extremely discouraging." Fortunately, Ahmed has found a supportive community of mathematicians of under-represented genders at Waterloo. She discovered this community partly through participating in events hosted by Women in Mathematics (WiM) and Women in Computer Science Waterloo Women's Impact Network (WWIN).