Iranian Woman Becomes 1st Female Winner Of Nobel Prize In Mathematics

Iranian scientist, Maryam Mirzakhani, has become the first-ever woman to receive the prestigious Fields Medal, often described as the "Nobel Prize in Mathematics."

Mirzakhani, 37, a professor at Stanford University in California, is among the four 2014 awardees of the world’s top math prize. She is the first female winner of the International Medal for Outstanding Discoveries in Mathematics, also known as the Fields Medal, which has been awarded every four years since 1936.

Mirzakhani received her medal at the International Congress of Mathematicians in Seoul, South Korea, from the country’s first-ever female president, Park Geun-hye.

"This is a great honour,” Mirzakhani said, according to Stanford University’s website. “I will be happy if it encourages young female scientists and mathematicians. I am sure there will be many more women winning this kind of award in the coming years."