Eileen Poiani facts for kids
Eileen Louise Poiani is a brilliant American mathematician. She made history as the first female math teacher at Saint Peter's University in New Jersey. Today, she is a respected professor there. She also served as a vice president and special assistant to the university president. Dr. Poiani was also the first woman to lead the math society Pi Mu Epsilon.
Her Early Life and Education
Eileen Poiani grew up in Nutley, New Jersey. She was a fourth-generation resident of the town. She graduated from Nutley High School.
She then went to Rutgers University for her college studies. She attended the Douglass Residential College there. She earned high honors, becoming a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Dr. Poiani continued her studies at Rutgers. She earned her doctorate degree in mathematics in 1971. Her advanced research focused on complex math topics like summability and polynomials.
A Career of Firsts
In 1967, even before finishing her doctorate, Dr. Poiani started teaching at Saint Peter's University. This was a big deal because Saint Peter's had only just started accepting women students the year before. She became the university's first female math instructor. At that time, she was one of only seven women teaching at the entire university.
Dr. Poiani taught mathematics for 35 years. She became a full professor in 1980. She was also very interested in helping women and minorities succeed in math.
Later, she took on leadership roles at the university. In 2000, she became the vice president for student affairs. This made her the first female vice president at Saint Peter's University. In 2011, she became a special assistant to the president.
Helping Others in Math
Dr. Poiani has done a lot to help other people interested in mathematics. In 1975, she started a national program called "Women and Mathematics." This program arranged for women mathematicians to speak to high school girls. The goal was to inspire young women and show them that they could have careers in math. She led this important program until 1981.
She also served on many important math organizations. She was a governor for the New Jersey section of the Mathematical Association of America. She also chaired the U.S. Commission on Mathematical Instruction for the National Academy of Sciences.
Dr. Poiani was the first woman to be elected president of the math honor society Pi Mu Epsilon. She served as president from 1987 to 1990.
Awards and Honors
Dr. Poiani has received many awards for her hard work and dedication.
- In 1995, Pi Mu Epsilon gave her their C. C. MacDuffee Award for Distinguished Service.
- In 2003, she received New Jersey's Women of Achievement award.
- Saint Peter's University named her an honorary alumna in 2017.
- In 2020, the Association for Women in Mathematics named her an AWM Fellow. This honor recognized her strong commitment to encouraging women and underrepresented groups to study mathematics. It also honored her for starting the "Women and Mathematics" program and for her leadership in Pi Mu Epsilon.
