Mountie Math Role Models
Looking for some inspiration during your mathematical journey? Take a look at some amazing mathematicians, past and present, who have worked tirelessly to bring diversity, equity, and inclusion to the mathematical world, and who have inspired countless young minds to pursue a career in the STEM fields!
Educators
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- Dr. Abdulalim Shabazz
Dr. Abdulalim Shabazz was a Mathematics Professor at Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta,GA and at Lincoln University of Pennsylvania in Lincoln University, PA. He was a passionate advocate for the inclusion of historically excluded groups (including women, racial/ethnic minorities, and people with disabilities) in mathematics and STEM education.
To learn more about Dr. Shabazz's mathematical journey, visit the Mathematical Association of America!
Photo Credit: Mathematically Gifted and Black
- Dr. Alexander Diaz-Lopez
Dr. Alexander Diaz-Lopez is an Assistant Professor of Mathematics and Statistics at Villanova University in Villanova, Pennsylvania. He is passionate about helping mathematics students from underrepresented groups prepare for research opportunities. Dr. Diaz-Lopez also co-founded the Latinxs and Hispanics in the Mathematical Sciences website.
To learn more about Dr. Diaz-Lopez's mathematical journey, take a look at a Special Interview and view their Words of Wisdom! Learn about other mathematicians as well by visiting the Meet a Mathematician website.
Photo Credit: https://www.meetamathematician.com/
- Dr. Amanda Folsom
Dr. Amanda Folsom is a Mathematics Professor at Amherst College in Amherst, MA. She is a passionate advocate for mathematics outreach programs, and co-founded the Summer Undergraduate Math Research at Yale (SUMRY) Program.
To learn more about Dr. Folsom's mathematical journey, visit her personal website.
Photo Credit: American Mathematical Society
- Dr. Autumn Kent
Dr. Autumn Kent is an Associate Mathematics Professor at the University of Wisconsin - Madison in Madison, WI. She is a passionate advocate for trans rights and the intersectional identities of mathematicians. She is also known for her mathematical drawings, which she turns into games!
To learn more about Dr. Kent's journey, take a look at her 500 Queer Scientists Profile and a Special Interview in Scientific American.
Photo Credit: American Mathematical Society
- Dr. Belin Tsinnajinnie
Dr. Tsinnajinnie is an Associate Professor of Mathematics at Santa Fe Community College in Santa Fe, NM. He is a passionate advocate for DEISA (diversity, equity, inclusion, social justice, and anti-racism) through Indigenous perspectives in mathematics education, and studies educational power dynamics and their impacts.
To learn more about Dr. Tsinnajinnie's mathematical journey, take a look at a Special Interview and view their Words of Wisdom! Learn about other mathematicians as well by visiting the Meet a Mathematician website.
Photo Credit: https://www.meetamathematician.com/
- Dr. Chelsea Walton
Dr. Chelsea Walton is an Associate Professor of Mathematics at Rice University in Houston, TX. She is passionate about "inventing new math" and mentoring students through the EDGE Program - Enhancing Diversity in Graduate Education. Dr. Walton was the first woman to win the André Lichnerowicz Prize in Poisson Geometry
To learn more about Dr. Walton's mathematical journey, take a look at her Black History Month 2017 Honoree spotlight! Learn about other mathematicians as well by visiting the Mathematically Gifted and Black website.
Photo Credit: https://www.ams.org//women-18
- Dr. Clarence Stephens
Dr. Clarence Stephens was a Mathematics Professor at Morgan State University in Baltimore, MD and at State University of New York in Potsdam, NY. He was the ninth African American to ever earn a Ph.D. in mathematics! He was passionate about helping his students to embrace the intrinsic beauty of mathematics and ensuring that every student succeeded in their mathematical journey.
To learn more about Dr. Stephen's mathematical journey, visit the Mathematical Association of America or his Mathematically Gifted and Black Honoree Profile!
Photo Credit: Mathematically Gifted and Black
- Dr. Dudley Woodard
Dr. Dudley Woodard was a Mathematics Professor at the HBCU (Historically Black College and University) Howard University, in Washington, D.C. He was the second African American ever to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics. He was passionate about enjoying life to the fullest, even in the face of racial adversity!
To learn more about Dr. Woodard's mathematical journey, visit his Black History profile!
Photo Credit: Mathematically Gifted and Black
- Dr. Elbert Cox
Dr. Elbert Cox was a Mathematics Professor at the HBCU (Historically Black College and University) Howard University, in Washington, D.C. He was the first African American ever to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics. He was passionate about encouraging young Black students to study mathematics at the graduate level and established a scholarship fund to aid in this venture!
To learn more about Dr. Cox's mathematical journey, visit the Mathematical Association of America!
Photo Credit: Mathematically Gifted and Black
- Dr. Etta Falconer
Dr. Etta Falconer was a Mathematics Professor at Spelman College in Atlanta,GA. She was the eleventh African American woman to earn a PhD in Mathematics, and the first African American woman to earn a Masters Degree in Computer Science. She was a passionate advocate for the inclusion of historically excluded groups (including women and racial/ethnic minorities) in mathematics and STEM education.
To learn more about Dr. Falconer's mathematical journey, visit her BlackPast profile!
Photo Credit: Mathematically Gifted and Black
- Dr. Euphemia Lofton Haynes
Dr. Euphemia Lofton Haynes was a Mathematics Teacher in the Washington, D.C. public school system, and a Mathematics Professor at Miner Teachers College and at District of Columbia Teachers College in Washington, D.C. She was the first African American woman to earn a PhD in mathematics. She was a passionate advocate for the desegregation of public schools and for the ability of students (African American students in particular) to change their educational "track" if their interests and/or progress change over time.
To learn more about Dr. Haynes' mathematical journey, visit her BlackPast profile!
Photo Credit: Mathematically Gifted and Black
- Dr. Evelyn Granville
Dr. Evelyn Granville was a Mathematics Professor at CSULA in Los Angeles, CA and at the HBCUs (Historically Black College and Universitys) Fisk University in Nashville, TN and Texas College in Tyler, TX. She was also a computer programmer that contributed directly to some of NASA's missions, and was the second African American woman ever to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics. She was passionate about encouraging young African American woman to embrace the value of mathematics!
To learn more about Dr. Granville's mathematical journey, visit her Mathematically Gifted and Black profile!
Photo Credit: Mathematically Gifted and Black
- Dr. Genevieve Knight
Dr. Genevieve Knight was a Mathematics Professor at the HBCUs (Historically Black College and University) Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia and Coppin State University in Baltimore, Maryland. She was a passionate advocate for the inclusion of historically excluded racial and gender groups in mathematics and mathematics education, and paved the way for many educational and professional opportunities for these groups.
To learn more about Dr. Knight's mathematical journey, visit her Mathematically Gifted and Black profile!
Photo Credit: Mathematically Gifted and Black
- Dr. Gloria Gilmer
Dr. Gilmer taught at several HBCUs (Historically Black College and University) and was a leader in the field of Ethnomathematics, the study of how different people, in different cultures, use mathematics. She was the first African American woman to publish a mathematics research article and was passionate about showing students that mathematics can be found in unexpected places, particularly in nature.
To learn more about Dr. Gilmore's mathematical journey, visit her Mathematically Gifted and Black profile!
Photo Credit: Mathematically Gifted and Black
- Dr. J. Ernest Wilkins
Dr. Wilkins was a mathematician and mechanical engineer who earned his doctorate at the age of 19. He was a Mathematics and Physics Professor at the HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) Howard University in Washington, DC and Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, GA, and contributed to the Manhattan Project as a researcher. He was passionate about his students, and built the PhD program in Mathematics and Howard University.
To learn more about Dr. Wilkin's mathematical journey, visit his Black Past profile!
Photo Credit: Mathematically Gifted and Black
- Dr. Marissa Loving
Dr. Marissa Loving is an Assistant Professor of Mathematics at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. She is a passionate advocate for equity and diversity in first-year mathematics graduate programs. Dr. Loving also co-founded the Indigenous Mathematicians Network.
To learn more about Dr. Loving's mathematical journey, take a look at a Special Interview and view their Words of Wisdom! Learn about other mathematicians as well by visiting the Meet a Mathematician website.
Photo Credit: https://www.meetamathematician.com/
- Dr. Ron Buckmire
Dr. Ron Buckmire is a Mathematics Professor at Occidental College in Los Angeles, CA. He is a passionate advocate for the inclusion of historically excluded groups (including women, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and racial/ethnic minorities) in mathematics and STEM education. Dr. Buckmire also co-founded Spectra - The Association for LGBT Mathematicians.
To learn more about Dr. Buckmire's mathematical journey, take a look at a Special Interview and view their Words of Wisdom! Learn about other mathematicians as well by visiting the Meet a Mathematician website.
Photo Credit: https://www.meetamathematician.com/
- Dr. Abdulalim Shabazz
Researchers
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- Albert Turner Bharucha-Reid
Albert Turner Bharucha-Reid was a research statistician who specialized in probabilistic analysis. Though he never completed his doctorate, he was passionate about his research, and was awarded many research grants over the years, including grants from the US military, the NIH (National Institutes of Health), and the NSF (National Science Foundation).
To learn more about Albert Turner Bharucha-Reid's mathematical journey, visit his Black Past profile! Visit Black Past to learn more about other African American historical figures as well!
Photo Credit: Mathematically Gifted and Black
- Cristina Mittermeier
Transformations, especially reflections are widely used in photography. Cristina Mittermeier is a Mexican-born marine biologist, activist, and National Geographic magazine Photographer. Below are some of her works of art that portray reflections. To learn more about Cristina Mittermeier, visit her website!
Photo Credit: https://www.cristinamittermeier.com/ - Dr. David Blackwell
Dr. David Blackwell was a researcher at RAND Corporation and a Statistics Professor at University of California, Berkeley, where he became the school's first African American tenured faculty member. His research was so important that his name appears in the statistical theorem, the Rao-Blackwell Theorem.
To learn more about Dr. Blackwell's mathematical journey, visit his Black Past profile! Visit Black Past to learn more about other African American historical figures as well!
Photo Credit: Mathematically Gifted and Black
- Dorothy Vaughan
Dorothy Vaughan was the first African-American manager of the National Aeronautics and Space Association (NASA, formerly NACA). She began as a high school math teacher, before joining NASA and becoming an excellent programmer. She was a passionate advocate for racial and gender equality in the workplace, and is featured in the movie Hidden Figures, alongside the great Katherine Johnson!
To learn more about Dorothy Vaughan's mathematical journey, visit her NASA profile!
Photo Credit: Mathematically Gifted and Black
- Dr. Jacqueline Akinpelu
Dr. Jacqueline Akinpelu (retired) was the Assistant Branch Supervisor for the Applied Information Sciences Branch at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. She worked with "big data" to ensure the security of the nation's information.
To learn more about Dr. Akinpelu's mathematical journey, take a look at a Special Interview and view their Words of Wisdom! Learn about other mathematicians as well by visiting the Meet a Mathematician website.
Photo Credit: https://www.meetamathematician.com/
- Joseph Nakao
Joseph Nakao is a Ph.D. student at the University of Delaware in the Department of Mathematical Sciences. He is passionate advocate for the inclusion of LGBTQ+ mathematics students, and serves on the Board of Directors for Spectra, the Association for LGBTQ+ mathematicians.
To learn more about Joseph Nakao's mathematical journey, visit his personal website!
Photo Credit: American Mathematical Society
- Dr. Juliette Bruce
Dr. Juliette Bruce is a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Mathematics Department at Brown University in Providence, RI. She is a passionate advocate for inclusion and diversity in the mathematics community.
To learn more about Dr. Bruce's mathematical journey, take a look at a Special Interview and view their Words of Wisdom! Learn about other mathematicians as well by visiting the Meet a Mathematician website.
Photo Credit: https://www.meetamathematician.com/
- Katherine Johnson
Katherine Johnson, who was featured in the movie Hidden Figures, was one of the first African American women to work for NASA, analyzing flight test data and researching equations describing orbital spaceflight. She was the first woman in the Flight Research Division to receive author credit for a paper, and gave many astronauts the confidence to make their trips into space.
To learn more about Katherine Johnson's mathematical journey, visit her NASA biography!
Photo Credit: Mathematically Gifted and Black
- Albert Turner Bharucha-Reid
