Beverly Anderson facts for kids

Beverly Jacques Anderson, born on September 10, 1943, is an American mathematician. She is a retired professor from the University of the District of Columbia. In the 1990s, she worked at the National Academy of Sciences. There, she directed programs to help more minority students succeed in math. She led a special project called Making Mathematics Work for Minorities.

Early Life and Education

Beverly Anderson grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana. She lived in a time when schools were separated by race. Her parents, Alvin Joseph and Dorothy Ann, did not finish high school.

Anderson went to Valena C. Jones Normal School for elementary education. She then attended a high school just for African-Americans. She was very good at mathematics there. She earned her first college degree in math from Dillard University.

She was the first person in her family to leave New Orleans for college. She moved to Howard University for her advanced studies. In 1978, she earned her PhD from the Catholic University of America.

Research and Career in Mathematics

Anderson started teaching math at the University of the District of Columbia in 1969. She received an award from the White House for her work at Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

In 1988, she took a break from teaching. She joined the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences. There, she started the Making Mathematics Work for Minorities program.

Helping Minority Students in Math

This program had three main goals:

• To show the country why more minority students were needed in math.
• To find the best ways to teach math to minority students.
• To create a national plan to improve math education for everyone.

Anderson held many workshops across the country. She shared ideas on how to help minority students do well in math. She believed that teaching math should consider different cultures. She felt that ignoring cultural differences could make it harder for students of color.

Improving College Programs

Anderson also noticed something important. Minority students who started at two-year colleges were less likely to get a four-year degree. This was compared to those who started at four-year universities.

She stressed that math programs in schools needed long-term support. She also said that special schools, called magnet schools, should help support math teachers. And she believed that colleges needed strong four-year math programs.

Leadership Roles

During her 40 years at the University of the District of Columbia, Anderson held many important jobs. She was a Professor of Mathematics. She also led the Mathematics Department. Later, she became the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

In 1997, she was named Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs. She continued to help with math education programs. In 2000, she worked as a consultant for the Everybody Counts report. In 2013, Anderson was chosen to be on the School Board for Prince George's County, Maryland.

See also

In Spanish: Beverly Anderson para niños