Professor Kate Poirier | D046 | Fall 2023

OpenLab assignment: Native American Heritage Month Mathematician Profile

Due Monday, November 13

Animated gif saying "Native American Heritage Month"

November is Native American Heritage month! This assignment is similar to the one you completed forĀ Hispanic Heritage Month. This time, you will profile an indigenous mathematician in a comment on this post.

The website indigenousmathematicians.org includes profiles of several indigenous mathematicians, many of them belonging to first nations of what is now known as North/Central/South America. (The website includes profiles of mathematicians belonging to first nations in other parts of the world; while this assignment is to celebrate Native American Heritage Month, if you find an indigenous mathematician from another part of the world and youā€™d like to profile them, go ahead.)

  1. Scroll to the map or click on ā€œprofilesā€ or ā€œhonoreesā€ to see a list of indigenous mathematicians.
  2. Choose one mathematician youā€™d like to profile. Read their profile on the indigeneous mathematicians webpage.
  3. See what else you can find out about the mathematician you chose. Many mathematicians have personal/academic webpages that include information that might not be in their profile.

Your comment should include

  1. The mathematicianā€™s name and tribal/nation affiliation (if available).
  2. Where they are now (most of them probably have a job at a university).
  3. What field of math they do research in or a title of a recent research paper they published.
  4. Any other interesting biographical details you can find out about them.
  5. What made this person stand out to you.
  6. A photograph of them (optional).

Feel free to use other websites as resources for finding out about indigenous mathematicians! Include any relevant links in your comment.

9 Comments

  1. Toushayiah Dupree

    • Rebecca Garcia
    • She is a professor of Mathematics at Sam Houston State University in Texas. Also, She is also one of the five co-directors of the commended Mathematical Sciences Research Institute Undergraduate Program (MSRI-UP) and the principal investigator for the Mathematical Association of America National Research Experience for Undergraduates Program (MAA NREUP). 
    • She got a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and is into Mathematical Sciences Research
    • She is working for other Indigenous students to help them get the same opportunities she did with her program/project PURE MATH
    • She has many mentors going back to her high school trig teacher and more. It shows how a person can grow through mentors.

  2. Allison

    Freda Porter, Lumbee tribe North Carolina

    She is one of the first native Americans to earn a Phd in mathematical science. She earned a bachelors degree from Pembroke State University. She then proceeded to enter a graduate internship program that allowed her to earn her masters degree of math and computer science from North Carolina University. She did not only stop there. While being married and with a family, she managed to attend Duke University to receive her PhD. The reason why this mathematician stood out to me was because she earn a degree and she did keep on going for more. I would say this is a good example to follow because many people became satisfied with their first achievement.

  3. Thomas Plunkett

    Kamuela E Yong

    Native Hawaiian

    Kamuela is currently a professor at the University of Hawaii. He teaches pre calculus, through the lens of a Pacific Navigator, which means using the details in nature to right yourself on a course through the ocean. He said while he hasnā€™t experienced racism in his profession, he has felt at times like a ā€œtoken,ā€ saying heā€™s been introduced as ā€œthe first native Hawaiian with a PhD in Mathematics,ā€ but not by his own name.

    Mr. Yong stood out to me because I hold a deep respect for Pacific Island communities.

  4. gelber

    Danny Luecke

    North Dakota

    Danny is a professor of Mathematics at North Dakota State University. Hi still in north Dakota teaching math, at university and teaching to the other the importance of math in the community, he was working on his phD research to create a new, four -year math education program to increase the number of local math teachers on the reservation. One more interesting about this person is that he care about what the community need in order to know what type of curses community need Luecke met with Ojibwe language instructors, students, and other community members. This history make me stand up to me because talk about the needs of the community which is great because teach the value of study and help to the community.

  5. Pavlo Havryshko

    Mary Golda Ross was born in August 9 1908 and died in April 29 2008 she was 100 years old when she died. She was a math mathematician also a engineer. At age of 16 she went to a college of Northeastern State teachers college At age of 20 she got a bachelors degree for mathematics also after few years she got a masters degree in math. Than during world war 2 she joined a army and was hired as a mathematician by the army she was working on creating fighter jets also she was studying effects of the P 38 fighter jet and the speed. After the world war 2 she went to a University of California where she got another degree of engineering than she worked in a stunk works project. Than a cold war started she played a important role in researching of ballistic missiles.

    Mary Golda Ross stood out to me because she was a very brave woman where she was a mathematician and also a engineer and helping the US army in wars

  6. Omar Abaza

    Kyle Dahlin, a hawaiin mathematician currently a Postdoctoral Associate at the University of Georgia. He participated in the Research Experiences for Undergrads program at Arizona State University (ASU). His graduate degree also allowed him to hone in on his interest in addressing ecological challenges in his home state. What made this person stand out is that he had to take a ferry to get to school which just shows his dedication.

  7. Amanda L Padilla

    Mary Golda Ross (1908ā€“2008) was a notable Native American mathematician of Cherokee descent. Born in Park Hill, Oklahoma, Ross went on to become the first known Native American woman to earn an engineering degree, graduating from the University of Northern Colorado in 1928.

    While specific details about her current whereabouts are not available due to her passing in 2008, Ross made significant contributions during her career. She joined Lockheed Aircraft Corporation (now Lockheed Martin) in 1942, where she played a crucial role in aerospace engineering. Ross’s expertise was instrumental in various projects, including the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and early satellite systems.

    Her work extended to the Apollo program, where she contributed to space exploration efforts. Ross’s mathematical prowess was pivotal in trajectory analysis and orbital mechanics. Although her specific research papers may not be readily available, her impact on the aerospace industry is widely acknowledged.

    Beyond her professional achievements, Ross was an advocate for women and minorities in STEM fields. She co-founded the Los Angeles section of the Society of Women Engineers and actively promoted educational opportunities for underrepresented groups.

    Mary G. Ross stands out not only for her groundbreaking contributions to aerospace mathematics but also for breaking gender and ethnic barriers in a predominantly male field. Her legacy serves as an inspiration for aspiring mathematicians, especially women and individuals from diverse backgrounds, encouraging them to pursue careers in science and engineering.

  8. ekagya

    Kamuela E Yong

    Native Hawaiian

    • Kamuela is currently a professor at the University of Hawaii.
    • He teaches pre calculus, through the lens of a Pacific Navigator,
    • When teaching through the lens of a pacific navigator it means using the details in nature to find yourself on a course through the ocean.
    • Hasnā€™t really experienced racism in his profession
    • He feels like the first native Hawaiian with a PhD in Mathematics
    • He stood out to me because he talk about the needs of the community which is great because teaching the value of studying is helpful to the community.
  9. Tais Martinez

    Name: C Bryan Dawson and heā€™s part of the Cherokee tribe. Heā€™s currently a Professor of mathematics at Union University. Bryan recently researched well work on a calculus book. Something that I read about him that was interesting to me was that he married a Cherokee woman. While reading his biography, what stood out to me the most was that he followed his fathers footsteps and decided to also pursue this mathematical degree. He will also then mentioned that he wants to help other families and make them make legacies on their own. 

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