Fern Hunt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fern Hunt
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | January 14, 1948 New York City, U.S.
|
| Alma mater | |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields |
|
| Institutions | |
| Thesis | GENETIC AND SPATIAL VARIATION IN SOME SELECTION-MIGRATION MODELS. (1978) |
| Doctoral advisor | Frank Hoppensteadt |
Fern Yvette Hunt was born on January 14, 1948. She is an amazing African American mathematician. She is famous for her work in applied mathematics, which is like using math to solve real-world problems. She also works in mathematical biology, which uses math to understand living things.
Today, Fern Hunt is a researcher at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). There, she studies the ergodic theory of dynamical systems. This is a complex area of math that looks at how systems change over time.
Contents
Growing Up and Learning Math
Fern Hunt was born in New York City in 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.
The family lived in a housing project in Hampton. When Fern was nine, 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.
High School and College Years
Fern went to the Bronx High School of Science. During high school, her main interest changed from science to mathematics. After graduating, she attended Bryn Mawr College. Her mother encouraged her to go there. In 1969, Fern earned her first degree in mathematics.
She then continued her studies at the Courant Institute of Mathematics at New York University. She earned her master's degree and then her PhD in mathematics in 1978. Her PhD project was about how genes and space affect certain models. Her advisor was Frank Hoppensteadt.
Fern Hunt's Career Journey
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.
Working with Government Agencies
While at Howard, Fern also worked for other important organizations. From 1981 to 1982, she worked at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). She was part of their Laboratory of Mathematical Biology. She also worked for the National Bureau of Standards from 1986 to 1991.
From 1988 to 1991, she was on the math advisory board for the GRE. This is a test many students take to get into graduate school. In 1993, she left Howard University. She began working full-time at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). At NIST, she uses math to solve problems in physics and chemistry. She also continued her research on how systems change over time.
Inspiring Future Mathematicians
Fern Hunt also gives talks at colleges and universities. She wants to encourage more students to study mathematics. She shares her own experiences as a Black woman in math. She helps mentor students from minority groups who are interested in math. In 1998, she taught at a summer workshop. This workshop helped women who were starting PhD programs in mathematics. It was run by the EDGE Foundation.
Awards and Special Honors
Fern Hunt has received many awards for her important work.
In 2000, she won the Arthur S. Flemming Award. This award recognized her contributions to many areas of math. These areas include probability, how things change randomly, math in biology, computer graphics, and parallel computing.
Since 1992, she has been a member of the Bryn Mawr College board of trustees. She has also been on the Biological and Environmental Research Advisory Committee for the United States Department of Energy since 1994.
Recognized by 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. She was also honored for her work in helping and mentoring others.
The Association for Women in Mathematics also named her an AWM Fellow in 2020. This was for her strong dedication to helping and mentoring students. It also recognized her efforts to make the AWM organization more welcoming to everyone. She was also honored for her service to education and government. She has inspired many people who are not often seen in math.
In 2017, Mathematically Gifted & Black recognized Fern Hunt. They honored her during Black History Month for her achievements.
Published Works
- HUNT, F. Y. (2005). A Mathematician at NIST Today. In B. A. CASE & A. M. LEGGETT (Eds.), Complexities: Women in Mathematics (pp. 314–327). Princeton University Press.
