JEROLYN BARBEE
Community Partner│National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center
Jerolyn Barbee is the assistant director of the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center (NAAMCC). The museum is a part of the Ohio History Connection statewide system of historic sites and museums. Jerolyn and the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center became a partner in this project to expand our efforts to document and share the stories of African American trailblazers.
Jerolyn manages the NAAMCC’s marketing and museum staff and activities (curatorial, programming). She has over 35 years of experience developing innovative community-based programs and service delivery coordination for foundation-funded and federal programs. A native of Memphis and parent of an adult son, Jerolyn’s hobbies include gardening, gourmet cooking, travel, and playing with her dog, Nia.
MONICA DELGADO
Math Outreach
Monica Delgado holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the Universidad de Guanajuato (Mexico) and an M.Sc. in applied mathematics from the University of British Columbia (Canada). Born and raised in Mexico, Monica relocated to Columbus in 2019 to assume a position at The Ohio State University as Associate Director of Buckeye Aha! Math Moments, the outreach branch of the Department of Mathematics. She has experience in math education and outreach and has worked extensively developing basic education content and textbooks in mathematics.
As part of the Hidden Figures project, Monica will lead the efforts to develop and promote educational materials to increase awareness of Black math history. This will be done through the design of lesson plans where math and social sciences intersect and the presentation of those to educators in Ohio via professional development sessions.
Monica’s motto is “share your love for math.” She believes that bringing the mathematicians and their research to the classrooms can help overcome math anxiety and inspire more careers in mathematics. Moreover, she thinks that highlighting the lives of mathematicians with diverse backgrounds is an important step in diversifying the field.
Monica loves her culture and tries to keep her people’s traditions while away from home. She also loves learning about other cultures and traditions around the world. She enjoys traveling at a slow pace, taking the time to appreciate the cultures of the places she visits.
JOSHUA EDMONDS
Communication
Joshua Edmonds is a passionate creative and visual artist who specializes in video production and photography. Edmonds is a graduate of the University of Kentucky with a BA in Media Arts and studies, and has over 10 years of experience in creative media.
Joshua is the Visual Media Specialist for the Hidden Figures project and is excited to showcase the stories of Ohio State’s Black mathematicians that have gone unseen for so long.
In his free time, you can find Joshua watching and having heated discussions about film, listening to a wide range of music from hip hop to electronic house music, strength training, or trying out new restaurants with his wife, Ranthony.
RANTHONY A.C. EDMONDS
Principal Investigator (PI)
Ranthony A.C. Edmonds is an NSF MPS Ascending Postdoctoral Researcher at The Ohio State University in the Department of Mathematics. Her work focuses on problems at the intersection of algebraic topology, commutative algebra, data science, and social justice.
Dr. Edmonds is the Principal Investigator of the Hidden Figures Revealed project. She believes in the use of history as a tool to understand current inequities in mathematical communities. She is passionate about amplifying the mathematical stories of those from underrepresented backgrounds in the discipline.
When she is not doing mathematics, Ranthony spends her time strength training, tending to her many indoor plants, including her favorite bird of paradise plant Miles, and spending time with her husband Joshua and their black cat, Neon.
DAVID GOLDBERG
Community Partner│National Math Alliance and Purdue University
David Goldberg grew up in several different communities, but considers himself from Boston, where he graduated from Cambridge Rindge and Latin School in 1979. He attended Reed College, Portland, OR. and graduated with a BA in Mathematics in 1984. After two years working as an actuarial administrator, he enrolled in the graduate program at University of Maryland, College Park in 1986. He finished his PhD in 1991 under the direction of Rebecca Herb, and was fortunate to have several other mentors in graduate school, including Paul Sally (University of Chicago), Phil Kutzko (University of Iowa), and Freydoon Shahidi (Purdue University). He has been at Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, since 1991, starting as a postdoctoral appointee (Research Assistant Professor), and accepting a tenure track position as an Assistant Professor there in 1994.
Dr. Goldberg was the Graduate Chair in the Purdue Mathematics Department from January 2013 through June 2019, and for many years before that actively participated on a faculty group within the department working to address issues of underrepresentation. He was a contributing author to four successful Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) grants, serving as co-Project Director on one and Project Director on another. Through some coincidence with his research interests, he became familiar with the National Alliance for Doctoral Studies in the Mathematical Science, more commonly known as the Math Alliance in 2007. He joined as a mentor in 2009. In 2014, he guided the creation of a Math Alliance Graduate Program Group in the Purdue Mathematics Department. He became the Executive Director of the Math Alliance in 2016, as it relocated its administrative home to Purdue. Under his leadership, the Alliance has grown in size and scope (nearly 1000 active student members). The Math Alliance received the 2017 Programs that Make a Difference Award from the American Mathematical Society.
Bio pulled from https://mathalliance.org/mentor/david-goldberg/
ELIZABETH NEWTON
Battelle Center
Elizabeth K. Newton was named the director of Ohio State’s Battelle Center full-time in February 2017 and re-launched it to focus on developing students and innovating in science and engineering enterprises that have significant public policy considerations. She brings to the position years of experience developing and guiding strategy and doing business development and planning, strategic analysis and communication, partnership development, process design, and systems-thinking. Thanks to her work in high-tech industries like aerospace, defense, genomics, and software, she is experienced in navigating the distinctive cultures of the for-profit and non-profit sectors, academia, and government.
Dr. Newton is a physicist with degrees in government. She earned her bachelor’s degree in government from Cornell University as a Phi Beta Kappa, Cornell National Scholar, and Maryland Distinguished Scholar. She earned a certificate in international relations from l’lnstitut de Hautes Etudes Internationales, in Geneva, Switzerland and interned at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. Her advanced degrees include a Master’s degree in political science from the University of California Berkeley, where she was a Congressional Jacob K. Javits Fellow, and master’s and doctoral degrees in solar astrophysics from the University of Alabama in Huntsville, where she was supported by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory and NASA.
Bio pulled from https://battellecenter.osu.edu/people/elizabeth-newton
ETHAN RIVERA
Battelle Center
Ethan Rivera works at Ohio State’s Battelle Center for Science, Engineering, and Public Policy in the John Glenn College of Public Affairs as the Student Programming Lead. His work includes developing a strong community atmosphere and fostering learning experiences for students to learn professional skills and broader perspectives for tech heavy industries.
Ethan’s role on the Hidden Figures team involves student professional trainings as well as preparing marketing materials including social media and website development. His passion for this project comes from a desire to highlight the stories of those whose voices are often ignored or silenced. Storytelling is such a vital part of community building and is a necessary part of progress to a more equitable world.
In his free time, Ethan spends too much money on sneakers and plays volleyball.
CATHY RYAN
Communication
Cathy Ryan (Department of English) has the privilege of working in STEM and multidisciplinary settings where academic and non-academic partners reach across traditional boundaries. She teaches storytelling, visual narrative, and writing.
Dr. Ryan (Co-I) made a commitment to the research study, Hidden Figures Revealed: Dynamic History and Narratives of Black Mathematicians at The Ohio State University, at its inception. She enjoys problem-solving, spending time with family, and partnering with the team on the project.