Full StoryThe documentary, by George Csicsery, examines the life and mathematical work of Dr. Maryam Mirzakhani. In 2014, she was both the first woman and the first Iranian to be honored by mathematics’ highest prize, the Fields Medal.The screening, introduced by IU College of Arts and Sciences Mathematics chair Kevin Pilgrim and hosted by IU HLSGIS Central Eurasian Studies faculty member Shahyar Daneshgar, was followed by a panel discussion. Panelists were• Hussein Banai, Assistant Professor of International Studies, Indiana University; Research Affiliate, Center for International Studies at MIT• Laura DeMarco, Professor of Mathematics, Harvard University• Shabnam Kavousian, Senior Lecturer of Informatics, Indiana University• Julia Plavnik, Charlotte Ann Griffin Assistant Professor in Mathematics, Indiana UniversityKavousian and DeMarco were classmates of Mirzakhani in Iran and at Harvard, respectively. On 14 July 2017, Mirzakhani died of breast cancer at the age of 40.The panel discussion, featuring questions posed by both host and audience, was wide-ranging. Topics included comparisons and contrasts on perceptions of women in science in Iran and the US, and the numerous challenges faced when pursuing science in the face of different kinds of obstacles.The screening was preceded a week prior by a live showing of “Sepideh: Reaching for the Stars”, a docu-drama about the life of Sepideh Hooshyar, a young female astronomer in Iran. The two films comprised an IU Cinema short series called Science for Human Flourishing.
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