Jenny McNulty facts for kids
Jennifer McNulty is an American mathematician and a university leader. She is currently the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Alaska Anchorage. Her work focuses on a branch of math called combinatorics. This includes special areas like matroid theory and graph theory.
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Her Journey in Math
Jennifer McNulty loved both chemistry and mathematics. She studied both subjects at Providence College in Rhode Island. She graduated from there in 1985.
After that, she continued her studies. She earned a master's degree in math from Stony Brook University. Then, she went on to get her Ph.D. in 1993. A Ph.D. is the highest degree you can get in a subject. She earned hers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Teaching and Leadership
In 1993, Jennifer McNulty started teaching. She became an assistant professor at the University of Montana. She worked hard and became a full professor in 2004. Being a full professor means she was a highly respected teacher and researcher.
She also took on leadership roles. From 1998 to 2002, she led a section of the Mathematical Association of America. This group helps mathematicians. In 2010, she became an associate dean at the University of Montana. This meant she helped manage a big part of the university.
Helping Others Around the World
In 2018, Jennifer McNulty became a Fulbright Scholar. This is a special award that lets people travel to other countries. She went to the University of Gondar in Ethiopia.
While there, she helped other mathematicians. She worked on designing new math courses. She also mentored new female teachers. She helped them learn how to teach well. Her visit also helped build strong connections between the University of Gondar and the University of Montana.
New Leadership Roles
In 2020, she moved to another university. She became a leader at the University of Montana Western. She was the interim provost there. A provost is a senior academic officer.
Then, in 2021, she moved to the University of Alaska Anchorage. There, she became the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. As dean, she helps guide many different subjects. These include arts, sciences, and math.
Her Book
Jennifer McNulty also wrote a math book. It is called Matroids: a Geometric Introduction. She wrote it with Gary Gordon. The book was published in 2012. It helps people learn about matroids, which is a type of math she studies.
