Caren Diefenderfer facts for kids

Caren Lea Diefenderfer (born January 18, 1952 – died March 30, 2017) was an American mathematician. She was well-known for helping people understand and use numbers better. This is called "numeracy."

Early Life and Studies

Caren Diefenderfer was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania. She began her college studies at Smith College. Later, she moved to Dartmouth College. She was one of the first women to be accepted as a student there. In 1973, she graduated from Dartmouth with top honors in mathematics. This is called summa cum laude.

She continued her studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. In 1980, she earned her advanced degree. Her research was about how to estimate complex math problems with many variables.

Teaching and Leadership

In 1977, Caren Diefenderfer started teaching at Hollins College. She taught there for her entire career.

She also held important roles outside of teaching. From 2004 to 2007, she was the chief reader for the AP Calculus exam. This means she helped oversee how the national calculus tests were graded. From 2011 to 2013, she was the president of the National Numeracy Network. This group works to improve how people understand and use numbers in everyday life.

Achievements and Awards

In 2017, Caren Diefenderfer received a special award. It was the Deborah and Franklin Haimo Awards for Distinguished College or University Teaching of Mathematics. The Mathematical Association of America gives this award to teachers who are excellent and inspire others.

Her award recognized her important work in "Quantitative Literacy." This means helping all college students become good at using numbers. She was a leader in this field. The award also noted her work with the National Numeracy Network and her efforts to support women in mathematics.

Later Life

Caren Diefenderfer passed away on March 30, 2017. She was 65 years old.