Born: 1954 (Bukoba, United Nations trust territory of Tanganyika)
Biography:
Verdiana Grace Masanja (née Kashaga, born October 12, 1954) is a Tanzanian mathematician specializing in fluid dynamics. She is the first Tanzanian woman to earn a doctorate in mathematics.
Education:
Masanja was born in Bukoba, a part of the United Nations trust territory of Tanganyika at the time. She attended the Jangwani Girls Secondary School in Dar es Salaam and later pursued her higher education at the University of Dar es Salaam. In 1976, she completed a degree in mathematics and physics, followed by a master’s degree in 1981. Her master’s thesis focused on the effect of injection on developing laminar flow of Reiner-Philippoff fluids in a circular pipe.
Masanja’s thirst for knowledge led her to earn a second master’s degree in physics and complete her doctorate in fluid dynamics at the Technical University of Berlin. Her dissertation, titled A Numerical Study of a Reiner-Rivlin Fluid in an Axi-Symmetrical Circular Pipe, was jointly supervised by Wolfgang Muschik and Gerd Brunk.
Career:
Even as a master’s student, Masanja began her career as a lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam. After completing her doctorate in Germany, she returned to Tanzania and became a professor at her alma mater, where she remained on the faculty until 2010. Her expertise and dedication to mathematics education also led her to teach at the National University of Rwanda starting in 2006. Within a year, she became a professor at the university and was appointed as the director of research. Masanja’s contributions to academia extended beyond Rwanda, as she also served as the deputy vice chancellor and senior advisor at the University of Kibungo.
In 2018, Masanja returned to Tanzania as a professor of applied and computational mathematics at the Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology in Arusha. Her extensive teaching experience, coupled with her research in fluid dynamics, continues to inspire and shape the next generation of mathematicians in Africa.
Contributions to Mathematics and Women’s Empowerment:
Verdiana Masanja has made significant contributions to the field of mathematics and has been actively involved in empowering women in the sciences. She has served as the vice president for Eastern Africa of the African Mathematical Union and chaired the African Mathematical Union Commission on Women in Mathematics in Africa. Masanja has also played a vital role in promoting education for women in mathematics as the National Coordinator for Female Education in Mathematics in Africa.
Her research extends beyond fluid dynamics, and she has published on the topic of women’s participation and education in science. As the editor-in-chief of the Rwanda Journal, Masanja continues to promote research and knowledge sharing in her field.
Verdiana Masanja’s journey as a mathematician and advocate for women’s empowerment in mathematics has been marked by dedication, resilience, and groundbreaking achievements. Her status as the first Tanzanian woman to earn a doctorate in mathematics serves as an inspiration to countless young women across the continent.