CURRENT AFRICAN- AMERICAN ACHIEVEMENTS IN MATH AND SCIENCE LAUSD – DISTRICT 8 Mattie Adams and Dr. Felicia Clark

Current Advances in Math and Science Since much African-American history focuses on deceased members of our community, we thought it important to spend some time sharing current history makers in the area of math and science Although the list is no where close to exhaustive, it gives you an idea of some of the advances African- Americans are currently making

Dr. David Blackwell “The Master” Earned Ph.D. at age 22 in 1941 Famous Statistician who furthered Game theory 1965 he became the first African American named to the National Academy of Sciences (he is still the only Black mathematician to be so honored) Classic Book : Theory of Games and Statistical Decisions (1979) Resides in Berkeley

Dr. Sylvester James Gates Significance of work: Dr. Sylvester Gates' study of the mathematical laws that govern hypothetical forms of energy and matter have paved the way for 21st century exploration of the universe at tiny scales never before previously accessible. Formulated model by introducing the superpartners "pionin" for the nuclear force (1996) *Currently affiliated with The University of Maryland

Dr. Arlie O. Petters Furthering Einstein’s theory First African-American to Receive The Blackwell-Tapia Prize For Minority Mathematical Scientists (2002) U.S. A. Citizen – Born in Belize B.A./M.A. (Mathematics and Physics) Hunter College 1986 Ph.D. (Mathematics) Massachusetts Institute of Technology Book: Singularity Theory and Gravitational Lensing (2000) Mathematical Astronomy: light deflection in weak gravitational fields Significance of work: Using reflective light to measure the size of galaxies

Benjamin Carson, MD Current Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins since 1984 CONTRIBUTIONS: Written over 90 neurosurgical publications Author of 3 best selling books, Gifted Hands, Think Big, and The Big Picture Has successfully separated several sets of Siamese twins

Dr. Alexa I. Canady Chief of neurosurgery- Children’s Hospital of Michigan ( Retired June 2001) 1st Female African-American Brain Surgeon in the US

Affiliations: Cambridge University University of California at Los Angeles (1991) University of San Diego Dr. Katherine Adebola Okikiolu US Resident - Nigerian Focus: Characterizing subsets of rectifiable curves in Euclidean n-space (works with inner city African-American Students to teach advanced Geometry with new paradigm) Her father, the Nigerian George Okikiolu, has written more mathematics papers than any other Black mathematician. She is married to mathematician Hans Lindblad.George Okikiolu 1 st African-American to win the Sloan Research Fellowship (the most prestigious award in US for early Scientists/Engineers) In 2001, 1 St African-American Woman to be published in The Annals of Mathematics (founded in 1884)

Dr. Trachette Jackson Graduated From U of Washington 1998 Professor at University of Michigan since 2003 Significance of Work Tumor initiation and progression – ability to monitor/predict growth of prostate tumor using mathematical formulas Contributions - Mathematical Models of Cancerous Tumor Growth (tumor biology) Born: 1972

BY THE NUMBERS…. 44,000 physicians and surgeons 79,400 postsecondary teachers 45,200 lawyers 49,300 chief executives ~26% of employed African-Americans work in management, professional, and related occupations ~ 74% of the employed African-Americans work in labor, service, non-management track positions STATE OF THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY

More Numbers… (2005 data) 2.4 million Number of black military veterans in the United States. More military veterans are black than any other minority group 80% Among blacks age 25 and older had at least a high school diploma. In states such as Colorado, the proportion was 90%. 17% Had a bachelor’s degree or more (by age 25). In many states, the rate was higher. 26% of blacks this age in Colorado, for instance, had this level of education

2.3 million Number of black college students in This was an increase of roughly 1 million from 15 years earlier $88.6 billion Revenues for black-owned businesses in 2002, up 24%from The number of black-owned businesses totaled 1.2 million in 2002, up by 45% since Black-owned firms accounted for 5% of all nonfarm businesses in the United States. 24.9% Poverty rate in 2005 for those reporting black as their only race. This rate was down from 31.3% in 1985 More Numbers…

More Numbers…. (pop quiz) The projected single-race black population of the United States as of July 1, On that date, according to the projection, blacks would constitute 15% of the nation’s total population million Nationally, the percentage of black households who lived in owner-occupied homes. The rate was higher in certain states, such as Mississippi, where it reached 56%. 46%

A new generation has risen up and done what's needed to be done… For that is our unyielding faith - that in the face of impossible odds, people who love their country can change it. - Barak Obama Seantor and Presidential Candidate February 10, 2007

Resources Black History Month Template: us/templates/TC aspx?AxInstalled=1&c=0http://office.microsoft.com/en- us/templates/TC aspx?AxInstalled=1&c=0 Biographies of Mathematicians of the African Diaspora Game Theory: Statistical Data: Quote from Speech: