This Math Monday, we’re celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with profiles of three amazing AAPI mathematicians you can bring into your classroom.

Find these profiles - and 30 more! - in the Math in Action slide deck!

Dr. Marissa Kawehi Loving

Loving is an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is “the first Native Hawaiian woman to obtain a Ph.D. in mathematics…not the first Native Hawaiian woman to develop mathematical tools to solve problems or to engage deeply in analytical exploration.”(from her website)

Read a short interview with Dr. Loving from Mathematically Gifted and Black and explore the infographic she created titled “Things a Mathematician Does”.

Possible Discussion Questions:

• Based on the infographic, summarize how a math research postdoc might spend their workday.
• What overlap do you see between how Loving describes her interests in the article and how she spends her time, according to the infographic?
• In the article, Loving shares the words of wisdom “Show up for your people and let them show up for you.” Where do you see that commitment in the infographic?
• What allowed Loving to persevere in mathematics, despite challenges?

Dr. Manjul Bhargava

Bhargava is a professor at Princeton University who won the Fields Medal in 2014 for his work in the geometry of numbers. He is interested in how math, music, and poetry can all be used “to express truths about ourselves and the world around us.” (from his profile in Quanta)

Watch this short interview with Dr. Bhargava from the Simons Foundation.

Possible Discussion Questions:

• What connection(s) does Bhargava see between math and art?
• What was the significance of Bhargava’s anecdote about the Rubik’s Cube?
• At the end of the video, Barghava says “Some of the most applicable mathematics that’s occurred in history has been discovered not for the purpose of the application but because one was just searching for the most beautiful mathematics out there.” What does he mean by this? Do you agree or disagree?

Dr. Priyam Patel

Patel is an assistant professor at the University of Utah who works in geometry and topology. She was awarded the National Science Foundation CAREER Grant in 2021 and organizes Roots of Unity, a workshop for women of color graduate students, and Represent: STEM Voices, a series that highlights accomplishments from marginalized groups in STEM. (from her website)

Watch Dr. Patel introduce herself on MEET a Mathematician.

Possible Discussion Questions:

• What motivated Patel to get her Ph.D.?
• What type of math does Patel do?
• What is a challenge that Patel faced in her career? How did it impact her and how did she respond?
• Patel says “It's not just made up. It’s not just imposter syndrome for the sake of imposter syndrome. It’s signaling that I was receiving from my community.” What do you think she means by that? Why is that distinction important?
• What does Patel say are her two proudest accomplishments?

Additional Resources

Find more profiles of mathematicians in these previous blog posts:

• Math Monday: Highlighting Black Mathematicians in the Classroom (2022)
• Math Monday: Highlighting AAPI Mathematicians in the Classroom (2022)
• Math Monday: Highlighting LGBTQIA+ Mathematicians in the Classroom (2022)
• Math Monday: Highlighting Mathematicians with Disabilities in the Classroom (2022)
• Math Monday: Highlighting Women Mathematicians in the Classroom (2022)
• Math Monday: Highlighting Hispanic and Latinx Mathematicians in the Classroom (2022)
• Math Monday: Highlighting Black Mathematicians in the Classroom (2023)
• Math Monday: Highlighting Women Mathematicians in the Classroom (2023)

Check out these additional resources:

• Order free posters from the American Mathematical Society
• MEET a Mathematician video series
• Teaching Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage from the NEA
• Rewriting Our List of Mathematicians from Desmos

About the Author

Kathryn Dawson

Kathryn (she/her) is excited to join the NGPF team after 9 years of experience in education as a mentor, tutor, and special education teacher. She is a graduate of Cornell University with a degree in policy analysis and management and has a master's degree in education from Brooklyn College. Kathryn is looking forward to bringing her passion for accessibility and educational justice into curriculum design at NGPF. During her free time, Kathryn loves embarking on cooking projects, walking around her Seattle neighborhood with her dog, or lounging in a hammock with a book.

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