Jasmine Edison
Value people, value learning, value kindness. These are the intentions that Tanya Moore, Ph.D. begins each day with. Moore currently serves as the Vice President of Mission Advancement for Goodwill Industries and is a founder of Infinite Possibilities Conference, a national conference designed to support women of color interested in mathematics and statistics. It was the support from her calculus teacher, Dr. Shah, during her first year at Spelman that gave her the confidence and support she needed to pursue mathematics as a career.
Moore always did well in math and had an interest in the subject, however, no one before Dr. Shah ever thought to introduce her to the career possibilities that mathematics holds. She went on to obtain her Ph.D. in Biostatistics and serve with the City of Berkeley in their public health division addressing disparities in health and focusing closely on reducing cardiovascular disease and diabetes in the African-American community. Her desire to address inequities and provide access to marginalized groups did not stop with the City of Berkeley.
Moore set her sights on creating a national conference that will educate and support women of color interested in mathematics or statistics. The Infinite Possibilities Conference (IPC) not only increased the mathematical skills of the attendees, it also highlighted the unique experiences that people of color will face in the field. Moore wanted to ensure the conference fostered community and with attendees ranging from high school students to doctors in the field, it opened the door to ample opportunity for networking and mentorship.
Moore carries the value of support and encouragement in the mathematics field throughout her work. She often remembers what Dr. Shah once told her “You may have to travel the road alone, but you don’t have to be lonely”. This solidifies that the community fostered through IPC is what women of color need to guide them through to success.
Expanding Your Horizons Chicago 