Shabnam Akhtari facts for kids
Shabnam Akhtari is a brilliant Canadian-Iranian mathematician. She loves solving puzzles with numbers! Her special area of math is called number theory. This field explores the properties and relationships of numbers. She also works on Diophantine equations, which are special math problems where you look for whole number solutions.
Today, she is a professor of mathematics at Pennsylvania State University in the United States.
Contents
Becoming a Math Expert
Early Studies in Iran
Shabnam Akhtari started her journey in mathematics in Tehran, Iran. She studied at the Sharif University of Technology. In 2002, she earned her first degree, a bachelor's degree in mathematics.
Advanced Degrees in Canada
After her studies in Iran, she moved to Canada. She went to the University of British Columbia to continue learning about math. In 2008, she earned her Ph.D., which is a very high degree in a specific subject. Her big research project was about "Thue Equations," which are a type of math problem. Her professor, Mike Bennett, helped her with this work.
Teaching and Research Career
After finishing her Ph.D., Dr. Akhtari worked as a researcher in different places. She was at Queen's University at Kingston in Canada and the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in Germany. She also spent time at the Centre de Recherches Mathématiques back in Canada.
In 2012, she became a professor at the University of Oregon. She worked very hard and became an associate professor there in 2018. Now, she teaches and researches at Pennsylvania State University.
Special Awards and Honors
Honoring Women in Math
Dr. Akhtari has received special recognition for her amazing work. She was the winner of the 2021–2022 Ruth I. Michler Memorial Prize. This award comes from the Association for Women in Mathematics. It celebrates women who do important research in math.
