User:Jennifer Maas/sandbox

Early life and education
Ajakaiye was born in 1940 in the city of Jos, the capital of Plateau State in Nigeria. She was the fifth of sixth children. Her parents believed in equal education of the sexes and distributed household chores among both the male and female children. Later in life, she cited this element of her upbringing as an instrumental factor in giving her the psychological freedom to pursue her academic aspirations. She has long advocated that parents should adopt a similar, gender conscious approach to child rearing, in order to maximise their children's potential. Deborah demonstrated great mathematical acumen early on in life, which paved the way for her to select the field of geophysics as her chosen area os study. In 1962 she graduated from the University of Ibadan with a degree in physics. She received a master's degree at the University of Birmingham in England, and in 1970 received her Ph.D. in geophysics from Ahmadu Bello University in Nigeria. Originally interested in mathematics, Ajakaiye says she chose to pursue geophysics because she believed it could help her country.[1]

Career
Ajakaiye became the first female professor of physics in Africa in 1980. She has taught at Ahmadu Bello University and the University of Jos, serving as the dean of natural sciences at the latter. Her work with geovisualization has been used to locate both mineral deposits and groundwater in Nigeria. She has also created a gravity map of Nigeria,[2] working with several of her female students.[1] Deborah's work has contributed significantly to the socio-economic development of Nigeria, most notably via the development of hydrocarbon discoveries. For her work in this arena, she was honoured and awarded by the Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society. During her career, Deborah was an avid speaker at conferences and penned several books on geophysics - most notably co-authoring Course Manual and Atlas of Structural Styles, which has become an international reference on the Niger Delta. Deborah continues to leverage her expertise in geophysics to the betterment of her country, through her quest to increase Nigeria's crude oil reserves.

Philanthropy
After retirement she devoted her time to a Nigeria-based charity, CCWA [3] which she had founded in 1991. The goal of this charity is to support Nigeria's vulnerable community of widows, widowers, the aged and orphans, regardless of religions affiliation. They provide numerous services to the community including skill acquisition/vocational training, Small Scale Business Loans, scholastic scholarships, and medical outreach to provide free and quality basic medical care to marginalised communities.

Awards
Ajakaiye has been recognized for both her scientific advancements and her aid to the nation of Nigeria. The Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society honored her for her work, making her the first woman to receive the award. She was also the first black African to be named a fellow of the Geological Society of London.[1] She is also a recipient of the Award for Women of Distinction in 2010.