# Maria Klawe

> Canadian-American computer scientist

**Wikidata**: [Q11754](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11754)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Klawe)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/maria-klawe

## Summary

Maria Klawe was born on January 1, 1951, in Toronto and holds citizenship in both Canada and the United States [1]. She is a mathematician, computer scientist, academic administrator, and university teacher, with her primary field being computer science [2]. Klawe received her education at Strathcona Composite High School and the University of Alberta [3].She has held positions at several institutions, including the University of Toronto from 1978 to 1980, IBM, Princeton University from 2002 to 2006, and the University of British Columbia from 1988 to 2002 [3][2]. Her professional contributions have been recognized with multiple honors, including the Anita Borg Institute Women of Vision Awards, ACM Fellow, Fellow of the Association for Women in Mathematics, Fellow of the American Mathematical Society, Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and an honorary doctorate from Laval University [4][5][3][6][7][8][9][10][11].Klawe is a member of the American Mathematical Society, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Association for Computing Machinery, and the Association for Women in Mathematics [12][8][13][6]. She has maintained an active role in professional societies throughout her career, reflecting her sustained engagement with the fields of mathematics and computer science [4][5][3][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][8][13][6].

## Summary
Maria Klawe is a Canadian-American computer scientist, mathematician, academic administrator, and university teacher. She is notably the chairperson of Harvey Mudd College and is recognized for her leadership in academia and her advocacy for women in STEM fields.

## Biography
- Born: 1951 in Toronto
- Nationality: Canadian, American (since 2009-01-29)
- Education: Bachelor of Science in mathematics (University of Alberta, 1973), Doctor of Philosophy in mathematics (University of Alberta, 1977), Strathcona Composite High School
- Known for: Leadership in academia, computer science research, and advocacy for women in STEM.
- Employer(s): University of Toronto (1978-1980), IBM, University of British Columbia (1988-2002), Princeton University (2002-2006), Harvey Mudd College (chairperson, since 2006), University of Alberta, Oakland University
- Field(s): Computer science, mathematics

## Contributions
Maria Klawe has significantly contributed through her extensive academic leadership and research in computer science and mathematics. As chairperson of Harvey Mudd College since 2006, she has guided the institution's strategic direction. Her prior leadership roles include positions at Princeton University (2002-2006) and the University of British Columbia (1988-2002). Early in her career, she held roles at the University of Toronto (1978-1980), IBM, the University of Alberta, and Oakland University. Klawe co-authored "Residually-Complete Graphs" in 1980, which contributed to her Erdős number of 1. She has been recognized with numerous honors, including being named an ACM Fellow (1996), a Fellow of the American Mathematical Society (2013), and a Fellow of the Association for Women in Mathematics (2019). The latter award specifically cited her "exceptional impact on the advancement of girls and women in the mathematical sciences and in science and engineering more broadly, through her leadership in academia, industry, professional societies, and institutes, her fostering of innovative programs, and her influential research in computer science." She also received the Anita Borg Institute Women of Vision Awards in 2014 and the Great Immigrants Award in 2009.

## FAQs
### Q: What is Maria Klawe's nationality?
A: Maria Klawe holds both Canadian and American citizenship. She became a U.S. citizen on January 29, 2009.

### Q: Where did Maria Klawe receive her education?
A: Maria Klawe earned both her Bachelor of Science (1973) and Doctor of Philosophy (1977) degrees in mathematics from the University of Alberta. She also attended Strathcona Composite High School.

### Q: What are some of Maria Klawe's notable affiliations?
A: Maria Klawe has been affiliated with institutions such as Harvey Mudd College (as chairperson), Princeton University, University of British Columbia, University of Toronto, IBM, University of Alberta, and Oakland University. She is also a Fellow of the ACM, American Mathematical Society, and Association for Women in Mathematics.

### Q: What awards has Maria Klawe received?
A: Maria Klawe has received numerous awards, including the Anita Borg Institute Women of Vision Awards (2014), ACM Fellow (1996), Fellow of the Association for Women in Mathematics (2019), Fellow of the American Mathematical Society (2013), Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (2020), an honorary doctorate at Laval University (2020), and the Great Immigrants Award (2009).

## Why They Matter
Maria Klawe's significance stems from her profound impact as an academic leader and her unwavering commitment to promoting diversity in STEM fields. As the chairperson of Harvey Mudd College since 2006, she has been instrumental in shaping the institution's educational and research landscape. Her leadership roles at Princeton University and the University of British Columbia further underscore her influence on higher education administration. Her recognition as a Fellow of the Association for Women in Mathematics highlights her "exceptional impact on the advancement of girls and women in the mathematical sciences and in science and engineering more broadly." Through her influential research in computer science, her active participation in professional societies, and her dedication to fostering innovative programs, Klawe has created vital opportunities and served as an inspiring role model for women and underrepresented groups in science and engineering.

## Notable For
*   Serving as chairperson of Harvey Mudd College since 2006.
*   Recipient of the Anita Borg Institute Women of Vision Awards in 2014.
*   Being named a Fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) in 1996.
*   Being named a Fellow of the American Mathematical Society in 2013.
*   Being named a Fellow of the Association for Women in Mathematics in 2019 for her impact on advancing women in STEM.

## Body

### Personal Life and Background
Maria Klawe was born in 1951 in Toronto. She is married to Nick Pippenger. Klawe holds dual citizenship, being both Canadian and American; she became a U.S. citizen on January 29, 2009.

### Education
Klawe's educational journey began at Strathcona Composite High School. She pursued her higher education at the University of Alberta, where she completed her Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics by 1973. She continued her studies at the same institution, earning her Doctor of Philosophy in mathematics in 1977. Her doctoral research was supervised by Anthony Lau.

### Career and Academic Leadership
Maria Klawe has held a variety of prominent positions throughout her career, demonstrating her leadership and expertise in both academia and industry.
*   **University of Toronto**: She worked in the Department of Computer Science from 1978 to 1980.
*   **IBM**: She was also an employer at IBM.
*   **University of British Columbia**: She served from 1988 to 2002.
*   **Princeton University**: She held a position from 2002 to 2006.
*   **Harvey Mudd College**: Since 2006, she has served as chairperson.
*   **Other Affiliations**: She has also been an employer at the University of Alberta and Oakland University.

Her primary field of work is computer science, and her professional roles include mathematician, computer scientist, academic administrator, and university teacher. Kori Inkpen was one of her doctoral students.

### Professional Memberships and Honors
Klawe is a distinguished member of several leading professional organizations:
*   **American Mathematical Society**: She was inducted as a Fellow on November 1, 2012, with her fellowship taking effect in 2013.
*   **American Academy of Arts and Sciences**: She is a member of this prestigious academy.
*   **Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)**: She was recognized as an ACM Fellow in 1996.
*   **Association for Women in Mathematics**: She was named a Fellow on October 8, 2018, with her fellowship commencing in 2019. This honor specifically acknowledged her "exceptional impact on the advancement of girls and women in the mathematical sciences and in science and engineering more broadly, through her leadership in academia, industry, professional societies, and institutes, her fostering of innovative programs, and her influential research in computer science."

### Awards and Recognition
Maria Klawe has received numerous awards and accolades for her significant contributions:
*   **Anita Borg Institute Women of Vision Awards**: She was honored with this award in 2014.
*   **ACM Fellow**: Awarded in 1996.
*   **Fellow of the Association for Women in Mathematics**: Awarded in 2019.
*   **Fellow of the American Mathematical Society**: Awarded in 2013.
*   **Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science**: Awarded in 2020.
*   **Honorary doctorate at the Laval University**: She received this distinction in 2020.
*   **Great Immigrants Award**: She was a recipient of this award in 2009.

Her collaborative work includes co-authorship of "Residually-Complete Graphs" in 1980, which resulted in her having an Erdős number of 1.

```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Person",
  "name": "Maria Klawe",
  "jobTitle": "Chairperson of Harvey Mudd College",
  "worksFor": {"@type": "Organization", "name": "Harvey Mudd College"},
  "nationality": [{"@type": "Country", "name": "Canada"}, {"@type": "Country", "name": "United States"}],
  "birthDate": "1951",
  "birthPlace": "Toronto",
  "alumniOf": [
    {"@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "University of Alberta"},
    {"@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "Strathcona Composite High School"}
  ],
  "knowsAbout": ["Computer science", "Mathematics"],
  "sameAs": [
    "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Klawe"
  ],
  "description": "Maria Klawe is a Canadian-American computer scientist, mathematician, academic administrator, and university teacher, known for her leadership in academia and advocacy for women in STEM."
}

## References

1. [2009](https://www.hmc.edu/non-wp-sites/old-news/klawe_uscitizen.php)
2. [Source](https://www.hmc.edu/about-hmc/2018/10/08/klawe-named-2019-fellow-of-the-association-for-women-in-mathematics/)
3. [Source](https://www.geekwire.com/2019/harvey-mudd-president-maria-klawe-message-computer-science-grads-tech-industry/)
4. [Source](https://www.hmc.edu/about-hmc/president-klawe/)
5. [Source](https://www.hmc.edu/about-hmc/presidents-office/)
6. [Source](https://anitab.org/profiles/abie-award-winners/maria-klawe-leadership-winner-2014/)
7. [Source](https://dl.acm.org/profile/81339509657)
8. [Source](https://awm-math.org/awards/awm-fellows/2019-awm-fellows/)
9. [Source](https://www.ams.org/profession/fellows-list#k)
10. [Source](http://www.ams.org/news?news_id=1680)
11. [Source](https://web.archive.org/web/20220321005614/https://www.aaas.org/news/aaas-announces-leading-scientists-elected-2020-fellows)
12. [Source](https://www.ulaval.ca/notre-universite/prix-et-distinctions/doctorats-honoris-causa/maria-klawe)
13. [Source](https://www.carnegie.org/awards/great-immigrants/2009-great-immigrants/)
14. Mathematics Genealogy Project
15. Virtual International Authority File
16. [Source](http://www.ams.org/fellows_by_year.cgi?year=2013)
17. [Source](https://awards.acm.org/fellows/award-recipients)
18. [Source](https://files.oakland.edu/users/grossman/enp/Erdos1.html)