Mary Lynn Reed facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mary Lynn Reed
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Mary Lynn Reed in 2023
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| Born | 1967 (age 57–58) |
| Alma mater | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mathematics |
| Institutions | National Security Agency, Institute for Defense Analyses, Rochester Institute of Technology |
| Doctoral advisor | William Haboush |
Mary Lynn Reed (born 1967) is an American mathematician, a researcher in intelligence, a professor, and a writer of short stories. She used to lead the School of Mathematical Sciences at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). Today, she is a professor of Mathematics at RIT.
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Learning and Degrees
Mary Lynn Reed has always loved learning. She graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1988. Later, she earned a special degree called a Ph.D. in mathematics in 1995. She got this degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign.
Her Ph.D. project was about a complex math topic called representation theory. This shows how much she loved solving difficult math problems!
A Passion for Writing
Even though she loved math, Mary Lynn Reed also loved writing. She says she was "drawn to writing" since she was a kid. She started sharing her creative stories with others around 2005.
To improve her writing, she went back to school. In 2013, she earned a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in creative writing. She studied at the University of Maryland, College Park. Her MFA project was a collection of stories called Singularities.
Her Career Journey
After finishing her Ph.D., Mary Lynn Reed taught at a college for a short time. But she wanted to do something different. She then worked at a research center called the IDA Center for Communications Research. She also worked in the software industry.
Working for National Security
After the events of September 11, 2001, she started working with the National Security Agency (NSA). The NSA is a U.S. government agency that protects national security. By 2016, she became the chief of mathematics research there. This means she led important math projects for the country's safety.
She was also the president of the Crypto-Mathematics Institute. This is a group for mathematicians who work at the NSA. She also served on the Board of Trustees for the IDA.
Return to Teaching
In 2019, Mary Lynn Reed moved to the Rochester Institute of Technology. She became the Head of the School of Mathematical Sciences. This role allowed her to lead and inspire new students in mathematics.
Awards and Achievements
Mary Lynn Reed has been recognized for her amazing work. In 2018, the University of Illinois Department of Mathematics Alumni gave her a special award. It was called the Outstanding Professional Achievement Award. This award celebrated her great success in her career.
