Join us for a special presentation from Professor Asha Rao, Professor of Mathematics and Cybersecurity at RMIT University, on why studying mathematics matters and where it can take you.
In her presentation, Why Maths? Engaging Girls in Mathematics, Professor Rao will explore the value of mathematics beyond the classroom and the opportunities it can lead to. Drawing on her own experiences, she will encourage students to see mathematics as a pathway worth keeping open, whether their interests lie in science, technology, business, health, the arts, or fields yet to be imagined. This will be a wonderful opportunity for girls in Years 4–9, and their parents, to hear from a leading mathematician about the importance of confidence, curiosity and perseverance in learning mathematics, and why studying mathematics can create choices and opportunities for the future.
Professor Asha Rao RMIT University Professor Asha Rao is Professor of Mathematics and Cybersecurity at RMIT University, where her research spans secure communications, detecting money laundering, and modelling human interactions across physical and cyber space. Starting as a casual tutor at RMIT in 1992, she rose to Associate Dean of Mathematical Sciences (2017–2023) and in 2020 became the first female Interim Director of the Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute. A passionate advocate for women and girls in STEM, she is a 2019–2020 Superstar of STEM, a 2021 inductee to the Victorian Honour Roll of Women, and a regular media voice on cybersecurity.
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