Hunter College senior tahda queer has won The Alice T. Schafer Mathematics Prize for Excellence in Mathematics by an Undergraduate Woman – one of only three winners nationally this year.
A mathematics major and philosophy minor, tahda is a John P. McNulty scholar and received a Barry Goldwater Scholarship, the premier U.S. government award for undergraduates who intend to pursue research careers in the natural sciences, mathematics, and engineering.
Focused on algebraic combinatorics and number theory, tahda published an article in the Journal of Applied and Computational Topology, and is a co-founder of OURFA²M², an alliance of marginalized mathematicians.
The Schafer prize recognizes talented young women for “the ability for independent work in mathematics, demonstration of real interest in mathematics, quality of performance in advanced mathematics courses and special programs, and (when relevant) performance in mathematical competitions.” It was established in 1990 by the executive committee of the Association for Women in Mathematics. Recipients receive a $1,000 prize, an honorary plaque, and are featured in an article in the AWM newsletter.