April 30, 2024
Meghan O'Toole
Suha Jayyousi Dajani successfully defends bio-math dissertation
Dajani (left) upon defending her dissertation
Visiting Instructor in Mathematics Suha Dajani successfully defended her dissertation and earned her PhD from Northern Illinois University (NIU) earlier this semester.
The dissertation, “Mixed Mechanisms of Multi-Site Phosphorylation,” delves into the intricate relationship between mathematics and the phosphorylation of proteins and enzymes. Through dedicated research, Dajani has authored three significant theories in this domain. The first paper stemming from her findings is slated for publication in September, 2024.
“My research is in applied mathematics, specifically bio-math,” Dajani explained. “Applied math invokes science in mathematics. My graduate advisor, Dr. Maya Mincheva at NIU, introduced me to this field, and I found that biochemical reactions are interesting to study.”
Dajani, who has taught at Lake Forest College for five years of her 25-year teaching career, saw her life change over the course of completing her PhD.
“The whole process of obtaining my PhD took ten years. I started in 2014,” she explained. “The research took six years, and I spent four years taking PhD classes. In that time, I had three medical surgeries, I became a grandma, and my three kids got married.”
On April 27, Dajani was awarded an Outstanding Graduate Student Award from NIU. “Receiving an Outstanding Award was unexpected; however, it fills me with profound sense of pride, validation, and gratitude for my hard work and accomplishments being recognized and celebrated,” she said. “I am thankful to the department of mathematics and the graduate college at Northern Illinois University for their nomination. This recognition filled my last semester at NIU with happiness and great memories.”
Dajani encourages others to persist in their goals.
“My current and former students were so happy to hear that I defended this semester," she said. “Truly, this is a good opportunity to show that you can study at any age. I got my PhD in my 50s. You can make a commitment to yourself, have a goal in your life, and achieve it at any age. Life is not a race.”