Celebrating Black History Month 2025

Kaleab Abebe’s journey to becoming a tenured professor in biostatistics at the University of Pittsburgh began in the small town of Goshen, Indiana.

Benedict Anchang’s trek from Cameroon to the National Institutes of Health is a testament to resilience. Growing up as an anglophone in a predominantly francophone country, he found solace in mathematics, a passion his mother encouraged until her passing when Anchang was just 18.

Born in Nigeria, Niyi Adewale aspired to become a medical doctor, engineer, or lawyer—professions he equated with success. His love for mathematics initially steered him toward engineering, but setbacks led him to pursue his true passion: mathematics.

Portia Exum’s path to becoming a software development manager at SAS started in Newark, New Jersey, where her love for math was sparked in the first grade as she watched her father solve algebra problems.

Musie S. Ghebremichael’s love for mathematics and medicine started early and propelled him to earn his bachelor’s degree in mathematics in his home country of Eritrea. Eventually, he moved to the states to pursue graduate work: a PhD in statistics from Rice University and a postdoctoral fellowship at Yale University.

Growing up in Berkeley and Oakland, California, Ben Hansen was surrounded by inspiration and possibility. Drawn to the beauty of mathematics and the depth of philosophy, he enrolled in UC Berkeley’s Group in Logic and Methodology of Science.

Jacqueline Hicks’s journey into biostatistics began in Livonia, Michigan, where her family of engineers instilled a deep appreciation for math and science. While excelling in college math, it was a course in mathematical biology that inspired her career path.

Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Monica Christine Jackson grew up in a joyful, game-filled home where creativity and math intertwined. With siblings who coded computer games, her love for math sparked early.

Tiffany Kollah, a Pittsburgh native and daughter of Kenyan immigrants, has forged a remarkable path in public health and data science. With a passion for mental health statistics and increasing diversity in clinical trials, she combines her expertise in research to benefit public health.

Biostatistician, Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine Isaac Nuamah grew up in Kumasi, Ghana, and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in statistics from the University of Ghana. In high school, he was highly skilled at mathematics, which led him to statistics since he enjoyed the applied part as opposed to the more theoretical aspect of […]