Dr. Dorcas Ofori-Boateng joins the Mathematics + Statistics Department as Assistant Professor of Data Science. She will be part of the new Bachelor of Science in Data Science program starting in Fall 2020.
Dr. Ofori-Boateng was born and raised in Accra, Ghana. She credits her father with inspiring her desire to learn Mathematics and excel in it. Her research trajectories center around statistical foundations of data science, topological data analysis and anomaly detection in application to power systems, fMRI data and other dynamic complex network structures. She earned her PhD from the University of Texas in Dallas. The title of her doctoral dissertation is “From Single to Multilayer networks: Understanding Network Functionality Through a Topological Perspective”.
Her teaching style focuses on allowing students to draw from experience. She engages students in group assigned exercises and projects that require them to employ practical applications outside of the classroom. Her advice to students is the following:
In this life, I am certain you may have questions about your path as a student. You may even have doubts. I was just like you. But throughout my journey, one truth I have learned is that you are at your best when your state of mind is CALM. You can attain greater heights because you have what it takes! Challenge yourself! And when the going gets tough, ask yourself, “Why am I here?” I have been where you are, so I know what I am saying. Remember that you are here to acquire the best education you can, and not just for yourself but for your field, your community and for the world at large. As Dr. Joyce Brothers rightly said “Success is a state of mind. If you want success, start thinking of yourself as a Success”.
Dr. Ofori-Boateng says she looks forward to joining Portland State University in the fall. She is excited to be a part of a very rapidly evolving research university in the Pacific Northwest and she particularly cherishes the liberal and ethnically diverse Portland environment. At PSU, she expects to advance her research on geometrical and topological anomaly detection and statistical resilience/ vulnerability analysis of complex networks by collaborating with her esteemed faculty and intellectual students.
In her spare time, she likes to watch movies and to listen to Christian teachings.
Welcome Dr. Dorcas Ofori-Boateng!