Erica N. Walker

Supporting Giftedness: Historical and Contemporary Contexts for Mentoring Within Black Mathematicians’ Academic Communities

This article, using findings from a study of U.S.-born Black mathematicians who have earned a PhD in a mathematical science, examines how communities and schools support mathematical giftedness among students who are traditionally underserved. Data were obtained primarily from three sources: semistructured interviews conducted with 30 mathematicians; field notes from observations of mathematics meeting and conferences attended between 2008 and 2010; and analysis of historical texts (archival papers, biographies, and other writings by and about Black mathematicians). The purpose of this article is to describe mathematicians’ mentoring experiences within formal and informal academic communities, with the goal of informing the research community about factors that contribute to their success.RésuméCet article, à partir des résultats d’une étude portant sur un groupe de mathématiciens noirs américains ayant obtenu un doctorat dans un domaine des mathématiques, se penche sur les façons dont les communautés et les institutions scolaires soutiennent les élèves particulièrement doués pour les mathématiques au sein d’une population étudiante traditionnellement mal desservie. Les données proviennent de trois sources principales: des entrevues semi-structurées auprès de 30 mathématiciens, des observations relevées lors de rencontres et conférences sur les mathématiques ayant eu lieu de 2008 à 2010, et l’analyse de différents types de textes historiques (archives, biographies et autres documents écrits par et sur les mathématiciens noirs). Cet article se propose de décrire les expériences de mentorat réalisées par des mathématiciens en contexte universitaire, dans le but d’informer la communauté des chercheurs sur les facteurs qui contribuent à leur succès.

Teaching the Federal Budget, National Debt, and Budget Deficit: Findings from High School Teachers.

The issues surrounding the federal budget, national debt, and budget deficit are complex, but not beyond the reach of young students. This study finds scant treatment of the federal budget, national debt, and budget deficit in high schools today. It is hardly surprising that high school teachers spend so little time discussing these topics in their classrooms, another finding of this study. As bleak as we found the current state of education about these topics, we also found significant opportunities to teach them in high school classrooms. Specifically, we discuss four recommendations for teachers to infuse the federal budget, national debt, and budget deficit into high school social studies courses.

Excellence and Devotion: Black Women in Mathematics in the United States

This reflective essay explores the rich history of Black women in mathematics in the United States, and their contributions to academe, research, and industry. Despite their significant activity in the field, Black women’s contributions are often “hidden”—their work and research undervalued, their mentoring of others unacknowledged. This essay explores three interrelated themes—excellence, opportunity, and devotion—in the formative, educational, and professional experiences of Black women in mathematics. The essay concludes by exploring directions for future efforts to continue to build upon this group’s incredible potential and achievements in mathematics. This chapter draws extensively from research conducted for and reported in the author’s book about Black mathematicians, Beyond Banneker: Black Mathematicians and the Paths to Excellence, published by SUNY Press in 2014.