In this talk, I will take the audience on a tour of societies of recognition, such as the US National Academy of Sciences and the Fellows of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics. I will select some of the eminent female applied mathematicians from these lists, delve into their personal stories and careers, and celebrate the contributions that they made to the field. About the speaker: Gerda de Vries is Professor in the Department of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences and Associate Dean Undergraduate for the Faculty of Science at the University of Alberta. She is passionate about teaching at all levels and has won many teaching awards, including the Rutherford Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching at the University of Alberta (2006) and the Canadian Mathematical Society Excellence in Teaching Award (2014). Gerda is an advocate of interdisciplinary education, with an eye to making connections between mathematics and its applications to all sciences. She is a sought-after public speaker, presenting on the importance (and joy) of mathematics. Gerda’s research lies at the interface of mathematics and biology, and encompasses applications to cell biology, neurophysiology, the formation of animal groups, and industrial-scale composting.