Math Newsletter - Winter 2021
Mathematics Department Newsletter - December 2021
Dear Friends of UGA Mathematics,
The 60th anniversary of desegregation at UGA occurred this year, and in the fall, we have been reminded with both pride and sorrow of the role that the Mathematics Department played in those momentous times. First, I am sorry to report that our distinguished graduate Dr. Shirley McBay passed away on November 27 at the age of 86. She was the first African American to earn a Ph.D. from the University of Georgia in any field, and the first woman to earn a mathematics Ph.D. from UGA. She went on to a distinguished career as a faculty member and administrator at Spelman College, director at the NSF, dean at MIT, and founder of the Quality Education for Minorities Network. Dr. McBay’s obituary from the New York Times may be read here.
I am also sorry to report the loss of Thomas Brahana, who passed away earlier this year. Dr. Brahana was a member of our faculty from 1954 until his retirement in 1992. Dr. Brahana was the thesis advisor of Dr. McBay. He “was known for playing a vital role in keeping the campus calm during the 1961 desegregation of UGA by participating in the Faculty Patrol and helping to organize the Faculty Petition.” His personal account of these events may be found on our department’s website.
Despite these losses, I am pleased to report that UGA is moving to honor its distinguished graduates. The Science Library is planned to be named after Dr. McBay, in recognition of her trailblazing accomplishments and contributions to broadening participation in STEM fields.
Another mathematics graduate, Kerry Rushin Miller, is also being honored by a naming. The new residence hall being constructed on the corner of Baxter Street and Cloverhurst Avenue, will be called Black-Diallo-Miller Hall, in honor of Harold Black, Mary Diallo, and Kerry Rushin Miller, who were the first three Black students to enroll as freshmen and complete their undergraduate degrees at UGA. You can read more about Ms. Miller’s accomplishments, and donate to the scholarship fund, at this link.
Our outstanding instructional performance was recognized by the University System of Georgia by the Regents’ Teaching Excellence Award for Department or Program. Only one such award is given each year across the entire university system. This award honors the dedication, skill and commitment of our instructors, and the tremendous impact they have on our students.
Our undergraduate program continues to thrive, with 17 undergraduates earning degrees this fall, as well as two graduate students. We are excited about our new Math Peer Mentor Program, which launched this fall with pairings of 7 student mentors and 14 mentees. We are excited about the program, and looking forward to receiving feedback from participants soon. Thanks especially to our Franklin College advisor, Kestrina Shrestha, for her work moving this forward. Kestrina also played an important role in helping organize several department events this fall. These included a First Friday gathering welcoming all new math majors, which we hope will be an annual event. The UGA Math Club held a few events in our first back-to-campus semester, including a math movie night and an exploration of Fibonacci numbers in nature at the State Botanical Garden.
Our Undergraduate Research Program continued to connect students with an expanding group of faculty mentors. A URP research project involving undergraduate, graduate and faculty collaborators submitted a paper this Fall. The Directed Reading Program had record enrollment in both summer and fall, and a publication arose from a summer DRP project. Two graduating students will receive our new Undergraduate Research Award this Fall.
Furthermore, I am pleased to report we have reached two important and impressive milestones in graduate education. First, Professor Ming-Jun Lai’s 20th doctoral student, Kenneth Allen, will graduate in December. Advising 20 Ph.D. students is a stunning accomplishment, which speaks to the care and attention he devotes to his students, as well as the strength of his research program. Dr. Lai’s new book, Sparse Solutions of Underdetermined Linear Systems and Their Applications, was published by SIAM this summer. We thank Dr. Lai for his invaluable contributions to our graduate program.
The department itself reached a milestone this year: The first mathematics Ph.D. at UGA was awarded 70 years ago in June 1951. For our departmental birthday celebration, Professor Dino Lorenzini recounted the history of graduate mathematics at UGA. The department supplied the cake!
Undergraduate Coordinator Mo Hendon reports that the UGA High School Math Tournament returned this fall, in a new COVID-adapted format. This Fall's tournament consisted of three rounds of challenging problems, one each in October, November, and December. Each school entered a single team of students from, ranging in size from 5 to 20. Students really appreciated the teamwork aspect of this tournament. 24 schools participated. Creative problems and solutions were contributed by graduate students Peter Woolfitt and and Paco Adajar, as well as faculty members Mo Hendon, Paul Pollack, and Jimmy Dillies. A similar remote tournament is planned for Spring 2022, with hopes of bringing the tournament back to campus in Fall 2022.
Writing this newsletter is an enjoyable reminder of how much our department has to be proud of, as we emerge from a pandemic that is not fully behind us. I am confident that there will be much more to report in the coming year!
In closing, I would like to ask that you consider supporting the Mathematics Department. We are very grateful to the generous donors who have helped provide funds for awards and support of our students. Our general math fund supports a variety of educational and research activities in the department. You can contribute online at this website. Our Math Club organizes events and speakers for our majors throughout the academic year. You can contribute to the Math Club fund online at this website.
Best wishes,
Bill Graham
Head, Department of Mathematics
P.S. Thanks to Mo Hendon, Neil Lyall, Robert Schneider and Kestrina Shrestha for their contributions and suggestions for this newsletter.
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