Argelia Velez-Rodriguez facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Argelia Velez-Rodriguez
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| Born | 1936 (age 88–89) Havana, Cuba
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| Academic background | |
| Alma mater | Marianao Institute University of Havana |
| Thesis | Determination of Orbits Using Talcott's Method (1960) |
| Academic work | |
| Institutions | Bishop College Minority Institutions Science Improvement Program |
Argelia Velez-Rodriguez (born 1936) is a Cuban-American mathematician and educator. She made history as the first Black woman to earn a doctorate degree in mathematics in Cuba.
Early Life
Argelia Velez-Rodriguez grew up in Cuba. Her father worked for the government. At the time, Cuba's leader was Fulgencio Batista. He helped improve schools in Cuba. Argelia went to Catholic schools for her primary and secondary education. Her teachers quickly saw she loved math. She even won a math contest when she was just 9 years old!
Education and Firsts
Argelia Velez-Rodriguez earned her first college degree from the Marianao Institute in 1955. She then continued her studies at the University of Havana. There, she earned her Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy) degree in 1960. A Ph.D. is the highest university degree you can get.
Her teachers at these schools were all women who had Ph.D.s in math. Even though only a small number of people in Cuba were Black, Argelia became the first Black woman to earn a doctorate in Cuba. She once said that she did not experience racism in Cuba. She only faced it in places owned or controlled by the United States.
For her Ph.D., she studied how math can be used to understand how things move in space. Her special project was about finding the paths of objects in space. It was called "Determination of Orbits Using Talcott's Method."
Career in the United States
In 1962, Argelia Velez-Rodriguez moved to the United States with her son and daughter. Her husband joined them three years later. Her first teaching job in the U.S. was at Texas College in 1962. She taught both math and physics there.
By 1972, she became a professor at Bishop College in Texas. From 1975 to 1978, she was the head of the math department. In 1979, she left Bishop College. She then started working for the National Science Foundation. This organization helps fund science and engineering research and education. She worked with their Minority Science Improvement Program. In 1980, she began directing this program for the U.S. Department of Education. This program helps improve science education at colleges that serve minority students.
See Also
In Spanish: Argelia Velez-Rodriguez para niños
