Mathematics from India

As part of the campus focus on India, Dr. Shenaz Choudhury gave a talk exploring some of the significant contributions to mathematics made by Indian mathematicians. Some examples includes the introduction of the number zero, the ancients' discussion about surprisingly large numbers, and Ramanujan's famous collaboration with Hardy in number theory. There was also be some discussion of contributions to modern day mathematics, including contributions by female Indian mathematicians.

Dr. Choudhury first came to Pittsburgh in 1983 as a student, and fell in love with this region. After obtaining her Ph.D. in Mathematics from Carnegie Mellon, she taught for several years at the University of Pittsburgh, before making the decision to become a stay-at-home mom. She has kept her love for mathematics alive by private tutoring, mainly in Calculus, volunteering in the schools, and through ABCC, the Association for the Betterment of our Community Cooperative. For the past 11 years she has been an active member of the Pittsburgh Federal Executive Board's Asian American Heritage Committee, which organizes the Outstanding Asian American Student Awards. Dr. Choudhury is also the Executive Director of POP, the Power of Pittsburgh: World Language and Humanities Fair, held at the Heinz History Center in downtown Pittsburgh.