A recent mathematics graduate from Howard University describes their path into mathematics, which led to their selection as a 2025 SIAM EDGE Fellow. The author began as a chemistry major but switched to mathematics in their junior year. This change led them to apply to several graduate programs and decide to pursue a Ph.D. at Howard University.
During the 2024 Pathways into Quantitative Aging Research Summer Program at New York University, mentors advised the author to attend conferences and build professional connections. The author attended the Joint Mathematics Meetings (JMM) in Seattle in January 2025. There, they met women who had participated in the Enhancing Diversity in Graduate Education (EDGE) Summer Program. These interactions motivated the author to apply to EDGE.
The author first engaged with the EDGE community on January 15, 2025, during a webinar led by Shakuan Frankson of the U.S. Census Bureau. The event, titled ‘The Power of Community: Learning From EDGE Alumni,’ highlighted the experiences of women who had completed the EDGE program. Encouraged by the webinar and their advisor, Dennis Davenport, the author applied to the 2025 EDGE Summer Program…