* 1981 | Germany
Field: Mathematics
Bachelor’s and doctoral degrees in mathematics
Bachelor’s and doctoral degrees in mathematics
My Work:
Professor of Mathematics and Statistics (Education)
PIA DOMSCHKE
"Fortunately, I have never felt disadvantaged as a woman and have been able to freely pursue my interests and goals.
I dream of a future in which women are so well-represented in STEM fields that special support programs become unnecessary."
Did you have a clear idea of what your future would look like when you were a child?
I can’t remember what I wanted to be when I was a child. In high school, I knew only that I definitely didn’t want to become a teacher. During my college years, I developed a desire to become a professor—and that’s exactly what happened.
Which person(s) or experience(s) had the greatest influence on your decision about what career to pursue, and why?
The man who would later become my doctoral advisor was one of the professors who inspired me the most even while I was still an undergraduate. His style of lecturing has always served as a model for me.
Please tell us how your interest in your profession, field of study, or craft was sparked.
A key experience was the Junior Scholars Program at Miami University in Ohio, which I attended during the summer break between my 11th and 12th grades. There, I took the “Calculus 1” course, since I had always been good at math in school.
I enjoyed the combination of “math in English” so much that I participated in the Junior Scholars Program again a year later, this time taking “Calculus 2” and “Introduction to Programming.”
At information sessions held by local universities, I learned about the international degree program “Mathematics with Computer Science” at TU Darmstadt. It was such a good fit that I didn’t need to—and didn’t want to—look any further for other degree programs.
What do you like most about your current job?
What I enjoy most about teaching is those “aha” moments when something “clicks” for the students and they finally grasp a complicated concept.
These qualities have helped me along the way:
The best thing you learn while studying mathematics is “frustration tolerance.” In addition, analytical thinking and creativity are very helpful qualities.
If you could give young women some advice, what would it be?
Never let anyone convince you that you can’t do something. Find out for yourself if you’re good at something by simply giving it a try and, most importantly, don’t give up right away if it doesn’t work out the first time.
Contact information:
Öffnungszeiten
Bitte beachten Sie unsere aktuellen Hinweise.
Kontakt
Tel. 069 / 713 79 69-0
Das Telefon ist von Mo. – Fr. zwischen 10:00 Uhr und 12:00 Uhr besetzt.
Fax 069 / 713 79 69-190
info@experiminta.de
