Maria Klawe

Maria Klawe became president of Math for America in 2023 after serving for 17 years as the fifth president of Harvey Mudd College. A renowned mathematician, computer scientist, educator, and higher education leader, she has dedicated her career to advancing excellence and equity in STEM education.

Prior to joining Harvey Mudd College, Klawe served as dean of engineering and professor of computer science at Princeton University. She joined Princeton from the University of British Columbia, where she served as dean of science, vice president of student and academic services, and head of the Department of Computer Science. Earlier in her career, she spent eight years at IBM Research in California and two years on the faculty at the University of Toronto.

Klawe has made significant research contributions in mathematics and computer science, including functional analysis, discrete mathematics, theoretical computer science, human-computer interaction, gender equity in computing, and interactive technologies for mathematics education. An internationally recognized speaker, she has lectured widely on STEM education, leadership, diversity in science and technology, and the future of mathematics education.

She received her Ph.D. (1977) and B.Sc. (1973) in mathematics from the University of Alberta. Klawe serves on the boards of Phenome Health, the Museum of Mathematics, and the Institute for Computational and Experimental Research in Mathematics. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, chair of the Conference Board of the Mathematical Sciences, and trustee emerita of the Simons Laufer Mathematical Sciences Institute and Harvey Mudd College.

Klawe has received numerous honors for her leadership and contributions to mathematics, computer science, and higher education, including the 2014 Women of Vision ABIE Award for Leadership, the Canadian Association of Computer Science Lifetime Achievement Award, the American Association of University Women Achievement Award, the Computing Research Association Distinguished Service Award, and the Carnegie Corporation of New York Academic Leadership Award. She was also ranked No. 17 on Fortune's 2014 list of the World's 50 Greatest Leaders.