Camille McKayle facts for kids

Camille Althea McKayle (born 1964) is a talented Jamaican-American mathematician. She is currently the Provost at the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI). A provost is like a head teacher or chief academic officer for a university.

Dr. McKayle earned her PhD in mathematics from Lehigh University. Before becoming Provost, she taught college students at Lafayette College and UVI from 1993 to 2008. In 2008, she became the Interim Dean of Science and Mathematics at UVI. She was made the permanent Provost in 2014. Dr. McKayle's work focuses on helping more students from minority groups get involved in Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects.

Early Life and Education

Camille Althea McKayle was born in 1964 in Jamaica. She started her schooling there. Later, she moved to New York, where she finished high school. She then went to Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, and earned her Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics in 1985.

McKayle continued her studies at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. She earned both her Master of Science and PhD in mathematics there in 1993. Her PhD paper was about different types of math equations. Around the time she graduated, she married Robert C. Stolz.

Teaching Career and STEM Outreach

Dr. McKayle started her teaching career at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, from 1993 to 1996. After that, she moved to the Virgin Islands. She became an assistant professor of mathematics at the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI).

While teaching math, Dr. McKayle also created special programs. These programs aimed to help minority groups get more involved in STEM fields. She designed activities to spark interest in STEM for younger students, even those in elementary school.

Some of these programs included:

• Girls Exploring Math Stuff (GEMS): A program for 6th-grade girls.
• MathLab: This program helped students from 3rd to 7th grades.
• Science Awareness Saturday Academies and Summer Science Enrichment Academies: These offered fun learning experiences.
• Workshops for teachers to help them teach STEM better.

In 2005, Dr. McKayle was promoted to an Associate Professor at UVI. That same year, she also started working at the National Science Foundation. There, she helped manage grants for STEM subjects at Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Securing STEM Funding

In 1999, Dr. McKayle played a key role in getting a large grant. It was a $3.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation. This money was meant to improve STEM education at the University of the Virgin Islands. The funds helped improve courses, buy new equipment, and provide scholarships for students.

Dr. McKayle was the director of this important program. In 2000, she received the Millennium Award for outstanding teaching. This honor recognized her and three other teachers for their excellent work. In 2003, she became the coordinator for another program. This new grant aimed to improve K-12 math education on the island.

Becoming UVI Provost

After working with the National Science Foundation for two years, Dr. McKayle returned to UVI. In 2008, she was promoted to Interim Dean of Science and Mathematics. After serving as dean for four years, she became the Interim Provost at UVI in July 2012.

In 2014, her appointment as Provost became permanent. At the same time, she also became the Vice President for Academic Affairs. This means she helps lead all the academic programs at the university.

Notable Projects

Dr. McKayle has led or co-led many important projects. These projects focused on making math and science education better. Some of these include:

• Computer Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Scholarships Program (2002–2007)
• Comprehensive Approach to Retention and Persistence in STEM (2011–2014)
• PIRE: Context Sensitive Implementation of Synergistic Water-Energy Systems (2013–2018)
• Mare Nostrum Caribbean: Stewardship through Strategic Research and Workforce Development (2014–2019)
• Achieving Competitive Excellence Implementation Projects (2016–2021)
• HBCU-UP Collaborative for the Advancement of STEM Leadership (2016–2018)