A mechanical engineer, nuclear scientist and mathematician, Jesse Ernest Wilkins Jr. worked on the Manhattan Project during WWII and wrote almost 100 papers, including 55 on mathematics. He used his background in mathematics to serve as a professor at Howard University in Applied Mathematical Physics. He was the second Black American to be elected to the National Academy of Engineering. Some might consider him to be a genius because he was only 13 years old when he began attending the University of Chicago, where he earned five science degrees.
As you help your classroom students continue to learn and appreciate the contributions of these Black mathematical scholars, also consider how you can act as an innovator and inspiration to propel your students to greatness in mathematical endeavors.
1Retrieved from Math & Movement, 8 Famous Black Mathematicians and Their Contributions, in February 2021.
Want more? Check out all the articles from Teaching Tuesday and return each week for a new post. Learn more about Grand Canyon University’s College of Education and our degree programs and join in our efforts to elevate the education profession.