Danica McKeller: From The Wonder Years to Mathematician
Posted by Sam Glass on Tue, Sep 25, 2012 @ 03:06 PM
Before Danica McKeller graduated
summa cum laude in mathematics from UCLA…
Before she was co-author of the research that proved the Chayes-McKeller-Winn Theorem, and…
Before she wrote five books about math education,...
McKeller played girl-next-door Winnie Cooper on The Wonder Years.
Though no longer a teen star, McKeller has continued her acting career while being a non-stop advocate for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education.
A major part of McKeller's mission is to close the gender gap in STEM fields. Some young women think that working in STEM fields is a guys-only vocation, and McKeller is challenging that view. As McKeller said in a recent interview with the Washington Post, “You don’t have to choose between being the fun, fabulous girl and being the smart girl who knows what’s up, you can do both. That’s my big message.”
You can listen to McKeller discuss her latest book “Girls Get Curves: Geometry Takes Shape” in an interview she did with NPR in August.
Just to prove you don't need to choose between math and fun, McKeller is still active in Hollywood, most recently starring in the comedy Mancation. You can follow her on twitter @danicamckellar,where she frequently tweets about STEM topics.
Can you think of other role models for girls and young women pursuing STEM-related careers? They don't need to be actresses, but it is okay if they are. Share your thoughts below.