Manisha Garg (30), from India, is completing a doctorate in mathematics at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. As an educator, her goal is to support women in STEM by contributing to an educational environment that emphasizes mentorships and inclusiveness. She has a passion for mathematics and gender equity and her own professional goals have been profoundly influenced by her mother's role as the sole female teacher in her native rural Punjab village.
Confident in her abilities and persistent, Manisha believes that an education in STEM instills creativity, builds self-esteem, and provides important problem-solving skills, especially in children and women. On the uplifting of women and children, she says “education is the answer.”
Manisha co-founded the NGO Maadhyam Welfare Society (MWS), in Punjab, where she established the first library in the region, providing a safe environment for reading and studying. Through this NGO, she has organized language, public speaking and self-defence seminars for young women and facilitated digital access to education programs. Manisha's commitment to women and children is also demonstrated by her successful volunteer initiatives, such as Outreach Chair of the Association of Women in Maths, where she led a female-focused event to encourage early interest in maths and to build a supportive network.
Drawing on her firsthand understanding of educational challenges faced by women in rural areas in India, Manisha is determined to help build a community of students who support and inspire each other as they strive for excellence in STEM fields.
