Kate Okikiolu facts for kids

Kate Adebola Okikiolu (born 1965) is a British mathematician. She is famous for her work with complex math problems. She also helps teach math to children in cities.

Early Life and Learning

Kate Okikiolu was born in England in 1965. Her father, George Olatokunbo Okikiolu, was a very well-known mathematician from Nigeria. He wrote more math papers than any other Black mathematician. Kate's mother was British and taught math in high school.

Kate studied math at Cambridge University in England. She earned her first degree there in 1987. Later, in 1991, she got her Ph.D. in math from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). Her Ph.D. paper was about a complex math idea.

Her Career in Math

After finishing her Ph.D., Kate Okikiolu worked at Princeton University. She was an instructor and then an assistant professor from 1993 to 1995. Next, she was a visiting assistant professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

In 1995, she joined the faculty at the University of California at San Diego (UCSD). Later, in 2011, she moved to the Mathematics Department at Johns Hopkins University.

Kate Okikiolu has also given important talks about math. In 1996, she spoke at a meeting for the Association of Women in Mathematics. In 2002, she gave a special lecture for the National Association of Mathematicians. This group supports African-American mathematicians.

Awards and Special Recognitions

In 1997, Kate Okikiolu received a Sloan Fellowship. This was a big honor, and she was the first Black person to get this award.

Also in 1997, she won the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. This award recognized her amazing math research. It also honored her work creating math lessons for children in inner-city schools. Only 60 scientists and engineers get this award each year. It comes with a prize of $500,000 to help with their work.