Fern Hunt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fern Hunt
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| Born | January 14, 1948 New York City, U.S.
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Fern Yvette Hunt (born January 14, 1948) is an amazing African American mathematician. She is famous for her work in applied mathematics, which uses math to solve real-world problems. She also works in mathematical biology, using math to understand living things.
Today, Fern Hunt is a researcher at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). There, she studies something called the ergodic theory of dynamical systems. This is a complex way of looking at how things change over time.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Growing Up in New York
Fern Hunt was born in New York City on January 14, 1948. Her parents were Daphne Lindsay and Thomas Edward Hunt. Her sister, Erica Hunt, grew up to be a well-known poet and author.
Fern's grandparents came to the United States from Jamaica before World War I. Her family lived in a community in Hampton that was mostly Black. Her father did not finish high school. Her mother went to Hunter College for two years but did not get a degree.
Discovering Science and Math
When Fern was 9 years old, her mom gave her a chemistry set for Christmas. This gift made her very interested in science. Her middle school science teacher, Charles Wilson, also encouraged her to study math and science.
Fern went to the Bronx High School of Science. During high school, her main interest changed from science to mathematics.
College and Advanced Degrees
After high school, Fern's mother encouraged her to attend Bryn Mawr College. She earned her first degree in mathematics in 1969.
Later, she earned both a master's degree and a PhD in mathematics. She got these degrees from the Courant Institute of Mathematics at New York University in 1978. Her PhD research was about how genes and location affect certain models.
Career in Mathematics
Working at Universities and Institutes
Fern Hunt started her teaching career at the University of Utah. In 1978, she became an assistant professor at Howard University. She taught math at Howard until 1993.
While at Howard, she also worked for other important organizations. She was at the National Institutes of Health from 1981 to 1982. She also worked at the National Bureau of Standards from 1986 to 1991. From 1988 to 1991, she helped create math tests for the GRE.
Research at NIST
In 1993, Fern Hunt joined the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). At NIST, she works on math problems related to physics and chemistry. She also continued her research on how things change over time, known as the ergodic theory of dynamical systems.
Mentoring Future Mathematicians
Fern Hunt also gives talks at colleges and universities. She wants to inspire students to study mathematics. She shares her own experiences, including challenges she faced as a Black woman in math. This helps her mentor students from minority groups who are interested in math.
In 1998, she taught at a summer workshop. This workshop was for women who were starting PhD programs in mathematics. It was run by the EDGE Foundation, which helps increase diversity in graduate education.
Awards and Achievements
Recognized for Her Work
In 2000, Fern Hunt received the Arthur S. Flemming Award. This award recognized her important contributions to many areas of math. These areas include probability, how things change randomly, mathematical biology, and computer graphics.
She has also been a member of the Bryn Mawr College board of trustees since 1992. Since 1994, she has been on a special committee for the United States Department of Energy.
Honors from Math Societies
In 2019, Fern Hunt became a fellow of the American Mathematical Society. This honor was for her amazing use of math in science and technology. It also recognized her great service to the U.S. government and her work in mentoring students.
The Association for Women in Mathematics also named her a fellow in 2020. They honored her for her strong commitment to helping and mentoring others. They also recognized her efforts to make the AWM organization more welcoming to everyone. Her work in ergodic theory, probability, and computation has inspired many people who are not often seen in mathematics.
In 2017, Mathematically Gifted & Black honored Fern Hunt during Black History Month.
