As Black History Month 2022 draws to a close, IFoA member, Nyasha Chiwereza reflects on the achievements of inspiring black mathematicians.
A time for reflection and celebration
Black history month is a time for reflection, and an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of black people, who have paved the way. So, this Black History Month, I am shining a spotlight on Dr. Kate Okikiolu and Dr. Nira Chamberlain, who are widely recognised for their achievements in the world of Mathematics.
I selected these two role models for their many achievements, which have inspired me in my own career, and their work in raising awareness of black people’s contribution to the world of mathematics.
Mathematical research pioneer Dr. Kate Okikiolu
Dr. Kate Okikiolu was born into a mathematical family in the United Kingdom in 1965. Her mother was a secondary school mathematics teacher and her father, George Okikiolu, was a well-known Nigerian mathematician.
Kate is widely known for her research work in geometry and mathematical analysis. She earned an undergraduate Mathematics degree from Cambridge University in 1987. Following her undergrad she studied for a doctorate in Mathematics from the University of California in Los Angeles, graduating in 1991.
Notable achievements and firsts
In her career as a mathematician, Kate has achieved a number of notable firsts. Notable black first achievements. In 1992 she proved the existence of a finite journey that passes through all the stops, and calculated the shortest distance within a margin of error for the analyst’s travelling salesman problem. This algorithmic problem seeks to find the shortest route that a salesman can take, given an infinite number of stops.
In 1997 Kate became an Associate Professor at the University of California in San Diego (UCSD). During her time at UCSD Kate received two significant awards. She was the first black recipient of a Sloan Research Fellowship, a prestigious fellowship for promising researchers in the early stages of their career. She was also awarded a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers for both her mathematical and outreach work.
In 2001 she became the first black woman to publish an article in the Annals of Mathematics, a journal of research papers in pure mathematics founded in 1884. Kate continues to work as a professor with her main research areas covering harmonic analysis, spectral theory and geometry.
Influential mathematical modeler Dr. Nira Chamberlain
Dr. Nira Chamberlain OBE was born in the UK in 1969. Unlike Dr. Okikiolu, he wasn’t born into a mathematical family and chose to pursue mathematics despite a lack of encouragement from his school teachers.
Nira earned an undergraduate degree in Mathematics at Coventry Polytechnic in 1991. Following a placement working for a company involved in material sciences, he went on to study for a Master's degree in Industrial Mathematical Modelling at Loughborough University.
In 2014, he completed a doctorate at Portsmouth University on the topic of Extension of the gambler's ruin problem played over networks. Nira was highly motivated and completed his doctorate part-time while working his day job.
Nira has spent his career as a mathematical modeller applying his mathematical skills to solve complex industrial problems. He has worked across the globe in industries including manufacturing, energy, and defence. He is currently a Business Modelling Consultant at SNC-Lavalin.
Leadership and recognition
Nira was President of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications (IMA) from 2020 - 2021. He frequently gives talks at schools around the UK, facilitated through the charity Speakers for Schools. His popular lecture series: The black heroes of mathematics, continues to inspire many young people to pursue careers in Maths. His contributions to Mathematical Sciences were recognised this year through his appointment as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.
If you would like to connect with the UK Black Actuaries Network, please contact Chika Achadiuno, Mudi Ugnono, or Nnamdi Odozi on LinkedIn.
