Ron Buckmire facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ron Buckmire
Buckmire in 2013
Born	May 1968 (age 57) Grenville, British Grenada
Nationality	American
Alma mater	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Scientific career
Institutions	Occidental College (1994-present) National Science Foundation (2011–2013 and 2016-2018)
Thesis	The Design of Shock-Free Transonic Slender Bodies
Doctoral advisor	Julian David Cole and Donald W. Schwendeman

Ron Buckmire, born in 1968, is a mathematician from Grenada. He is also a former chess champion for Barbados. Beyond his work in math, he is known as an activist for LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) rights. He used to lead the math department at Occidental College. From 2018 to 2022, he helped manage academic programs at the college.

Early Life and School

Ron Buckmire was born in 1968 in Grenville, Grenada. When he was one year old, his family moved to the United States. His father was studying for his Ph.D. at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. In 1978, his family moved to Barbados.

He went to high school at the Combermere School in Barbados. In 1986, Ron returned to the United States. He studied at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). He earned his first degree in math in just three years. He then continued his studies and received his Ph.D. in mathematics in 1994. His advanced degree focused on how air flows around objects at very high speeds.

His Work as a Mathematician

In 1994, Ron Buckmire started working at Occidental College. He first joined as a researcher. In 1996, he became an assistant professor there. He was promoted in 2004 and led the math department from 2005 to 2010.

His work involves using computers to study how fluids move, like air around airplanes. He also looks at how math can help understand unusual things, such as how well movies do financially.

From 2011 to 2013, Buckmire worked at the National Science Foundation (NSF). He helped manage programs for college-level education. He returned to Occidental College and became a full professor in 2014. He also led the math department again for a short time. In 2016, he went back to the NSF as a lead program director until 2018.

Since 2021, he has been a Vice President for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion for SIAM. This role focuses on making math and science more welcoming for everyone.

Research in Applied Math

Ron Buckmire's research is in applied mathematics. This field uses math to solve real-world problems. He studies how to find numerical solutions for different types of math equations.

He has written many papers about using special math methods. These methods help to find good guesses for solutions to complex equations. His work helps scientists and engineers understand how things behave in the real world.

Activism for Equality

Ron Buckmire is also well-known for his work as an LGBT activist. He shared that he was gay while in college around 1988 or 1989. He learned a lot about being gay through the early internet.

He became very active in student groups at RPI. He was the president of the Rensselaer Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual Association. He also helped start the Women Students Association. In 1991, he created the Queer Resources Directory. This was an early online place for information about sexual minorities. He also managed several online discussion groups.

Ron also used radio to share information. He helped create a local radio show called Homo Radio at RPI. Later, he contributed to This Way Out, a national radio news show. He also helped start a group for LGBT mathematicians called Spectra.

Awards and Honors

Ron Buckmire has received several awards for his work. In 2011, he was named the GLBTA Educator of the Year by NOGLSTP. This group supports LGBTQ people in science, technology, engineering, and math.

In 2018, Mathematically Gifted & Black honored him during Black History Month. In 2023, he was chosen as a Fellow of SIAM. This is a high honor in the field of applied mathematics.

Personal Life

From a young age, Ron Buckmire was a talented chess player. He won the Barbados Junior Chess Champion title four times. He also became the National Champion three times. By 1997, he was ranked as a senior master in chess. He was among the top 250 chess players in the United States.

Ron Buckmire is married to Dean Elzinga. Dean used to be a professional opera singer. Now, he works as a data scientist.

See also

In Spanish: Ron Buckmire para niños