Yelena Yesha, 34, has had two brushes with the United Nations. The first was in 1980 when she was a Ukrainian refugee pleading for food. The second came 14 years later, when she was a leading member of the American delegation at the UN World Summit on Trade Efficiency.

    "My daughter wouldn't understand," says Yesha (BSc '84) about her beginnings. "Sometimes I had to walk to York because the 60 cent bus fare was too expensive."

    But there has been no turning back for Yesha (nee Letichevsky). Since graduating with a degree in mathematics and computer science, Yesha has gone on to become one of the leading researchers in her field. She's also a tenured professor at the University of Maryland, director of the Centre of Excellence in Space Data and Information Sciences (CESDIS), founder and editor of International Journal of Digital Libraries, and technical advisor to U.S. president Bill Clinton's team on electronic commerce, as well as a mother and wife.

    Of course, it hasn't been easy, she says. She's still the only female professor in her department, and there are few women associates at NASA. "I got used to it after the initial shock," she says. "It makes you tougher."

    Interestingly, Yesha says her foreign accent may have been a blessing in disguise, not a hindrance. "If I was a woman without a foreign accent, people would be suspicious of my success," she says. "It is easier for people to accept an immigrant who has worked her way up."

    Another blessing has been her involvement with the computer industry. "It is such an explosive field," says Yesha. "I'm fortunate to have been involved from the beginning in this area. Four years ago, the Internet was still a dream. Soon it will be a household appliance like the telephone."