Cathy O'Neil facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cathy O'Neil
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Cathy O'Neil at Google Cambridge in 2016
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| Nationality | American |
| Education | University of California, Berkeley Harvard University (PhD) |
| Awards | Alice T. Schafer Prize in 1993, MAA's Euler Book Prize |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mathematics |
| Institutions | MIT Barnard College D. E. Shaw & Co. Columbia University |
| Thesis | Jacobians of Curves of Genus One |
| Doctoral advisor | Barry Mazur |
Catherine "Cathy" Helen O'Neil is an American mathematician, data scientist, and author, born in 1972. She is well-known for her book Weapons of Math Destruction, which was a New York Times best-seller. Cathy O'Neil also writes opinion articles for Bloomberg View. She was involved in the Occupy movement, which was a protest movement about economic fairness.
Contents
Cathy O'Neil's Journey
Education and Early Career
Cathy O'Neil studied at UC Berkeley for her first degree. She then earned her Ph.D. in mathematics from Harvard University in 1999. After finishing her studies, she worked as a mathematics professor at top universities like MIT and Barnard College.
From Finance to Fairness
In 2007, Cathy decided to leave her university job. She then worked in the finance industry for four years, including as an analyst at D. E. Shaw & Co.. However, she became unhappy with the world of finance. This led her to join the Occupy Wall Street movement, where she worked with a group focused on making banking fairer.
Writing and Auditing Algorithms
Cathy O'Neil runs a blog called mathbabe.org, where she writes about data and algorithms. She has written several books:
- Her first book, Doing Data Science, was co-written with Rachel Schutt and came out in 2013.
- In 2016, she published Weapons of Math Destruction. This book became a New York Times best-seller and was recognized for its important message.
- Her third book, The Shame Machine: Who Profits in the New Age of Humiliation, was published in March 2022.
Cathy O'Neil also started a company called O'Neil Risk Consulting & Algorithmic Auditing (ORCAA). This company helps check if computer programs, called algorithms, are fair and not causing harm.
Awards and Recognition
Cathy O'Neil has received important awards for her work:
- In 1993, she was given the Alice T. Schafer Prize by the Association for Women in Mathematics.
- In 2019, she won the MAA's Euler Book Prize for her book Weapons of Math Destruction.
Personal Life
Cathy O'Neil lives in Massachusetts with her three sons.
See also
In Spanish: Cathy O'Neil para niños
