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MATH 2010S Hidden Figures

Math 2010s is a GE: Open Option, Service Learning mathematics course, and will only be offered in the Autumn 2020 semester during the 2020-2021 academic year (if the enrollment minimum is met.) We hope that you will encourage your scholars to consider signing up for this course in the Autumn and show support for a math class the centers the stories of black and other persons of color in STEM. It would be ideal for anyone interested in history and/or STEM.

Please feel free to reach out to Ranthony (Edmonds.110@osu.edu) or John (Johnson.5316@osu.edu) if you have any further questions. 

About the course

 This course focuses on understanding diversity and inclusion within mathematical communities by amplifying the experiences of the black mathematicians in the popular Hidden Figures text by Margot Shetterly. Students will also be paired with local ‘Hidden Figures’ to better understand their personal and professional journeys in STEM. Last semester, students worked with individuals of color from JP Morgan and Chase, Honda Manufacturing, and the Franklin County Coroner’s Office. 

This course only requires precalculus as a background, and runs more like a project based math history seminar, than a ‘traditional’ mathematics class. The goal was to center the experiences of underrepresented persons in STEM during the Space Race and Civil Rights Movement to provide students insights into STEM communities today, and how society shapes the quantitative skills necessary for certain job opportunities.