‘Math is about asking and answering questions no one else has asked before’

Megumi Harada has some advice for aspiring mathematicians.

“Stop worrying about ‘talent’ or ‘ability’ and concentrate on the ‘here and now.’ In essence, accomplish the task in front of you.”

The award-winning associate professor of mathematics and Canada Research Chair has been highlighted by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council as an inspiring leader for women in math.

A Q and A profile on Herada, who studies the complex relationships of equivariant simplectic geometry with other areas of mathematics, was recently published by the organization’s Chair for Women in Science and Engineering.

“To me, math is about asking and answering questions that no one else has asked before,” Herada says. “Mathematics trained me to think logically and precisely. This rigorous way of thinking can be applied in any research area, as well as in everyday life. I have found that this ‘mathematical thinking’ transformed the way I view the world.”

Herada earned her Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in 2014. She is also a recipient of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Invitation Fellowship for Research in Japan and the Association for Women in Mathematics Ruth I. Michler Memorial Prize.

You can read her full profile piece here.