Born: November 23, 1926 (Brooklyn, New York)
Biography:
Violet Bushwick Haas was an American applied mathematician specializing in control theory and optimal estimation. She dedicated her career to advocating for women in STEM fields and became a professor of electrical engineering at Purdue University College of Engineering. Her contributions to the field of mathematics and her commitment to supporting and encouraging women students in engineering have left a lasting impact.
Haas was born on November 23, 1926, in Brooklyn, New York. She completed her undergraduate studies at Brooklyn College, earning an A.B. in mathematics in 1947. Haas went on to pursue a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Her dissertation, titled Singular perturbations of an ordinary differential equation, was guided by her doctoral advisor, Norman Levinson. During her time at MIT, she met Felix Haas, a fellow mathematician and her future husband.
In 1951, Haas was selected as an American Association of University Women Vassie James Hill Fellow. She was also a member of prestigious academic societies, including Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma Xi, and Eta Kappa Nu. Haas’s academic career began as a lecturer at Immaculata College from 1952 to 1955. She then moved on to become an instructor at the University of Connecticut from 1955 to 1956. From 1957 to 1962, Haas taught at the University of Detroit, and she also had a teaching position at Wayne State University.
In January 1962, Haas joined the faculty at Purdue University as an assistant professor in the College of Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering. She gradually worked her way up and became a full professor of electrical engineering by 1978. Haas specialized in optimal control, nonlinear control, and optimal estimation. However, due to nepotism rules, she took a position in electrical engineering rather than mathematics because her husband was also a mathematician.
One of Haas’s significant contributions was her advocacy for women in STEM fields. She experienced hostility in some of her earlier academic environments, where women were not always welcome. Haas faced exclusion from grant proposals on several occasions, which gradually improved by the early 1980s. To support and encourage women in engineering, she served as the counselor of the Purdue University student chapter of the Society of Women Engineers for 15 years. In 1975, she joined the Association for Women in Mathematics and served as a coordinator for the speakers’ bureau. Haas was also involved with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) committee on professional opportunities for women and the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) constituent committee on women in engineering.
Haas’s dedication to promoting women in academic and professional areas earned her recognition and awards throughout her career. In 1977, she was elected as one of five Very Important Women on campus by the Association of Women Students at Purdue University. The same year, Haas received the D.D. Ewing Award for outstanding teaching in the Purdue School of Electrical Engineering. In 1978, she was honored with the Helen B. Schleman Medallion Award for her exceptional service and encouragement of women in academia and professional fields. Additionally, in the 1970s, Haas was nominated for the distinguished science award of the Society of Women Engineers.
Violet B. Haas’s legacy is one of resilience, determination, and dedication to advancing women in STEM fields. Her influential work as an applied mathematician and her unwavering support for women students in engineering have solidified her place in women’s history and left an indelible mark on the field of mathematics.
Awards:
– American Association of University Women Vassie James Hill Fellow (1951)
– D.D. Ewing Award for outstanding teaching in the Purdue School of Electrical Engineering (1977)
– Helen B. Schleman Medallion Award for service and encouragement of women in academic and professional areas (1978)
– Nominee for the distinguished science award of the Society of Women Engineers (1970s)