Isabelle A. Quaye

Born in New York and raised in Accra, Ghana, Isabelle A. Quaye grew up loving mathematics and science from a young age, representing Ghana at the International Mathematical Olympiad in 2018.

Quaye completed undergraduate studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she majored in electrical engineering and computer science and minored in economics. As an undergraduate, Quaye was awarded competitive fellowships and scholarships from industry giants like D. E. Shaw, Hyundai, Intel and Palantir in recognition of her academic and professional achievements. Upon graduation, Quaye received the Albert G. Hill Prize — one of the highest awards given to graduating seniors for maintaining high academic standards. From there, she continued on to a master’s degree in engineering, also at MIT, where she concentrated on theoretical computer science and systems.

In an era when data collection, storage and management are commonplace, Quaye seeks to harness the potential of this data to develop algorithms that are intelligent and perform significantly better than the worst case. She is currently a software engineer at Apple, where she continues to develop frameworks that harness intelligence from data to improve systems and processes.

Quaye believes that besides producing cutting-edge research, shaping the minds of the next generation of scientists is also a powerful way to contribute to the advancement of science and technology. She demonstrates this belief through teaching, having volunteered to teach programming and informatics to high school students in summer programs in both Ghana and the U.S.

In her free time, Quaye loves to travel and participate in active outdoor activities like running and hiking through scenic routes.