Mohabat Tarkeshian Award
Mohabat Tarkeshian (1994-2024) passed away, sadly and unexpectedly, on April 30, 2024, less than a year after receiving her Ph.D. in mathematics from Western University.
Mohabat loved mathematics from an early age. She remained a top student and excelled in all subjects but her love for mathematics never wavered. After receiving an undergraduate degree in mathematics and psychology at York University, Mohabat completed her graduate degrees in mathematics at Western: finishing her M.Sc. in 2018 and her Ph.D. in 2023. Immediately after her graduation, she started a tenure-track position at St. Francis Xavier University, thus fulfilling a lifelong dream of becoming a mathematics professor.
In addition to research excellence, Mohabat distinguished herself as an engaging and charismatic speaker. Her long list of awards includes two Ontario Graduate Scholarships and the Peter Rodney Prize for best student talk at the Ontario Combinatorics Workshop 2022. Dr. Chris Kapulkin, who was among the judges for the Peter Rodney Prize, recalls how many students approached Mohabat after her talk asking how to get involved in her research area.
Above all, Mohabat was a firm believer that everyone can have a joyful and meaningful experience doing mathematics. She sought to help others, especially women and those coming from underprivileged and equity-deserving backgrounds, find themselves in the universal language of mathematics. Jackie Doan, the founder and first president of Western’s student chapter of the Association for Women in Mathematics, referred to Mohabat as “an inspiration and a trailblazer.”
Although Mohabat is no longer with us, her memory will always live on at Western’s Department of Mathematics, among many other places. We are launching this fundraising effort to establish the Mohabat Tarkeshian Award for graduate students in the Department of Mathematics. The award intends to help everyone, including women and those coming from underprivileged backgrounds, find their academic voice and pursue their mathematical passions.
To make a donation please follow this LINK.
Fundraising goals:
- If we raise $25,000, we will create an endowed Mohabat Tarkeshian Award, which will be granted annually to a graduate student in Mathematics, in perpetuity.
- If we reach $10,000, we will establish the Mohabat Tarkeshian Award, providing support for graduate students in Mathematics for the next five years.
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If the total donations are below $10,000, the funds will go toward the Mathematics Department’s highest priority needs.
We thank you for your donation to the Mohabat Tarkeshian award.
