Gloria Conyers Hewitt facts for kids

Gloria Conyers Hewitt (born 1935) is an American mathematician. She made history as the fourth African-American woman to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics. Her main studies were in areas of math called group theory and abstract algebra. She was also the first African American woman to lead a math department in the United States.

Early Life and Education

Gloria Hewitt was born on October 26, 1935, in Sumter, South Carolina. She started college at Fisk University in 1952. In 1956, she graduated with a degree in teaching high school math.

Her department chairman, Lee Lorch, secretly recommended her to two graduate schools. Because of this, she received a scholarship offer from the University of Washington. This happened even though she hadn't applied there. She earned her master's degree in 1960. Then, in 1962, she completed her Ph.D. with a paper about "Direct and Inverse Limits of Abstract Algebras."

Hewitt's Career in Mathematics

In 1961, Dr. Hewitt began teaching at the University of Montana. By 1966, she became a permanent faculty member and an associate professor. In 1972, she was promoted to a full professor.

A big achievement came in 1995 when she was chosen to lead the Department of Mathematical Science. She stayed in this role until she retired in June 1999. After retiring, she was given the title of Professor Emeritus.

Contributions to Math Organizations

While teaching at the University of Montana, Dr. Hewitt was active in many other groups. She served on the main council of Pi Mu Epsilon, a math honor society. She also led the committee that created questions for the math part of the GREs.

Dr. Hewitt was also a special consultant for the Advanced Placement calculus exam. In 1995, she received an award for her twelve years of service. She also served on the Board of Governors for the Mathematical Association of America.

Her work focused on two main areas of math: abstract algebra and group theory. She has published eight research papers. She also gave twenty-one lectures that were not published.

Dr. Hewitt shared that she did not face many racial or gender challenges in her career. She felt lucky to be in a supportive environment. She even wrote an article called "The Status of Women in Mathematics." This article appeared in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.

Awards and Special Recognition

Dr. Hewitt received a special National Science Foundation postdoctoral Science Faculty Fellowship. She was also chosen to be on the board of governors for the Mathematical Association of America.

In 2018, Mathematically Gifted & Black honored her during Black History Month. That same year, the University of Washington created the Gloria Hewitt Endowed Graduate Student Support Fund. This fund honors her huge impact on mathematics. It helps students in the math graduate program. It especially aims to support those who are not often seen in the field of mathematics.

See also

In Spanish: Gloria Conyers Hewitt para niños