Graduate Women In Science

I’m a theoretical mathematician whose research focuses on shapes in 2 and 3 dimensions. The technical words I use to describe my research interests are geometric topology and geometric group theory. You can find a relatively gentle introduction to the math I do in this talk I gave in an online seminar in April 2020.

What is your education/career background?

I started my academic journey as an undergraduate at the University of Hawai’i at Hilo where I earned a B.S. in Computer Science and a B.A. in Mathematics in 2013. I knew by the end of my freshman year of college that I wanted to pursue mathematics at the graduate level so after graduation I headed to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where I obtained my PhD in Mathematics in 2019. I was then an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellow and Hale Assistant Professor at Georgia Tech for three years before I began my current tenure-track position at UW-Madison in Fall 2022.

How have you navigated a career in STEM as a woman/underrepresented minority?

Building a strong community of peers and a broader network of supportive mentors has been crucial for me as a Black and Indigenous woman in STEM. The academic system was not built with me in mind and I have encountered my fair share of obstacles at every career stage thus far, but these obstacles have been made more manageable with the support, wisdom, and love of my community to guide me.

What advice do you have for women/underrepresented groups pursuing an education/career in STEM?

Don’t try to do it alone! I used to think that accepting support that acknowledged my marginalized identities somehow lessened the importance of my accomplishments. Now I realize that was just internalized misogyny and white supremacy trying to separate me from my community and keep me from realizing my full potential.

What do you enjoy most about your career/current role?

I love the math I do! And the people that I get to do it with. My research is definitely a big part of my current academic position and I’m excited about continuing to grow my research program as I embark on the next big step of my career, supervising my own PhD students!

What does diversity, inclusivity, and equity look like to you in your job sector? How do you incorporate DEI in your position?

I spend a lot of time mentoring and advocating for junior folks of color in math, including undergraduates, graduate students, and postdocs. Although some of the folks I mentor are here at UW-Madison many of them are at different institutions across the country. The mentoring is sometimes focused on math research but often is more broadly focused on navigating the turbulent landscape of professional mathematics and academia.

What is your favorite way to unwind?

Spending time with my husband and two dogs, especially going on long walks together during the hot months of summer (I’m not a fan of the winter cold…).

I have a public twitter account where I sometimes talk about math, academia, and life. My handle is: @MarissaKawehi