Behind every famous theorem, every new research area, every classroom, and every individual, there is a mathematical story. Many of the stories we learn inspire us to persist, to imagine ourselves as thriving members of a quantitative community, and to contextualize how mathematics shows up in the world around us. In this lecture, we invite you to consider your own mathematical story and the ones that have impacted you. Upon reflection, which mathematical stories have been elevated, and which stories remain hidden?
We invite you to explore how storytelling that centers diversity, inclusion, and community in mathematics can lead us down interesting paths of mathematical discovery and understanding. Join Dr. Edmonds to learn how her research into Hidden Figures in mathematics led to a newfound love of slide rules, an appreciation for aeronautics, a first introduction to fractals, and an interesting group of mathematicians determined to do away with determinants in linear algebra.
About the Speaker
Dr. Ranthony A.C. Edmonds is a Postdoctoral Scholar at The Ohio State University in the Department of Mathematics. Her research interests include commutative ring theory, applied algebraic topology, and mathematics education.
Dr. Edmonds’ has a passion for amplifying hidden narratives in mathematics. In 2019 she co-created the first service-learning course in the Department of Mathematics at The Ohio State University entitled, ‘Intersections of Mathematics and Society: Hidden Figures’. This course pairs students with local STEM leaders to learn about their mathematical stories and the mathematics that shows up in their work. The course and some of Dr. Edmond’s journey through STEM was featured on the NPR Podcast Shortwave.
Edmonds is also the PI of the project “Hidden Figures Revealed: Dynamic History and Narratives of Black Mathematicians from The Ohio State University,” which is the first comprehensive study of black mathematicians at a single US institution.