Interview: Abbe Herzig on a journey in the “critical filter”, mathematics

PurposeThis paper seeks to record an interview about Abbe Herzig's journey in mathematics education, career, research and practice. Abbe Herzig's passion and love for mathematics began at her childhood. Although at some points in her life, due to personal and professional reasons explained below, she left mathematics education and teaching, she returned to the mathematics discipline, not as a mathematician but as an education scholar. As such, she was able to investigate those aspects of the disciplinary culture of mathematics that turns so many women away and to help formulate ways that the mathematics community can make the subject a more inclusive endeavor. She has developed courses and programmes to help diverse populations of young people discover the relevance of mathematics and science to their interests and realities. Herzig is in the midst of a major six‐year research programme, funded by the USA National Science Foundation, concerned with women and students of colour in the postgraduate mathematical sciences.Design/methodology/approachThis article is based on citations, discussion and interview with Abbe Herzig conducted in October 2006.FindingsIn one of her research studies, Abbe found that among mathematics faculty in one doctoral program their belief in talent moved the structure of doctoral education away from one of mentoring students to become mathematicians to one in which the faculty emphasized filtering out students not possessing the prerequisite dedication or talent. Mathematics is generally regarded as an objective field of knowledge, in which mathematicians work to discover truths about the natural world. In a more recent publication, Herzig has criticized the mathematics “pipeline” metaphor, as she believes it implies that students are passive actors in their education, reacting to “encountering a crack in the pipe”.Originality/valueThis is a unique profile of an internationally recognised scholar in the field of the diversity in mathematics. Herzig is a remarkable role model for women who wish to embark not only on mathematics education and profession, but other women too.