Ron Eglash facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ron Eglash
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Eglash works with children in the Yup'ik village of Akiachak, Alaska.
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| Born | December 25, 1958 Chestertown, Maryland, U.S.
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| Alma mater | University of California, Los Angeles (BS, MS) University of California, Santa Cruz (PhD) |
| Known for | Ethnomathematics |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mathematics Information technology |
| Institutions | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Ohio State University |
Ron Eglash, born on December 25, 1958, in Chestertown, Maryland, is a professor at the University of Michigan School of Information. He also teaches at the Stamps School of Design. His work combines ideas from cybernetics (how systems control themselves), anthropology (the study of human societies), and design. He is famous for his research in ethnomathematics, which explores how different cultures use and understand math.
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Ron Eglash's Journey in Education
Ron Eglash earned his first college degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles. He studied cybernetics and systems engineering. Later, he received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Santa Cruz. His Ph.D. was in a field called "history of consciousness."
Exploring Math Around the World
After his studies, Ron Eglash received a special award called a Fulbright fellowship. This award allowed him to travel and study math in Africa. He researched how African cultures used math in their daily lives. He later wrote a book about his findings called African Fractals: Modern Computing and Indigenous Design.
He has taught at several universities. He was a senior lecturer at Ohio State University. Today, he is a professor at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
Discovering Math in Culture
Ron Eglash's research looks at how math appears in different cultures. He studies fractal patterns, which are shapes that repeat themselves at different sizes. He has found these patterns in African buildings, art, and even religious practices.
Connecting Old and New Technologies
He also explores how native cultures connect with modern technology. For example, he studies how Native American traditions relate to cybernetics.
Teaching Math Through Culture
A big part of Ron Eglash's work is teaching children math and computer skills. He does this by showing them how math is already present in their own cultures. He explains that he doesn't just add math to their culture. Instead, he helps them see the math that is already there. Then, he connects it to the math they learn in school.
Examples of Cultural Math
Here are some cool examples of how math appears in culture:
- The patterns in cornrow hairstyles can show transformational geometry.
- Spiral shapes in graffiti art use ideas from math.
- The rhythms in music can teach about least common multiples.
- Native American beadwork uses ideas from analytic geometry.
His teaching method helps students feel more connected to math. It shows them that math is all around them, even in their own traditions.
Fairness in Science and Technology
Ron Eglash also studies how fairness works in science and technology. He looks at how different groups of people, based on their background or gender, are treated in these fields. He explores how ideas from cultures that value "bottom-up" (everyone having a say) principles can help modern society. This includes ideas for making economics and politics more fair.
