As a guest of Indiana University’s Gamma chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, Dr. Talitha Washington, director of the Atlanta University Center (AUC) Data Science Initiative and professor of mathematics at Clark Atlanta University, will give a public talk on Monday, February 26th. The lecture will take place in Chemistry Building 001 at 4:15 PM, and will uncover the essential ideas created by Katherine Johnson that sent astronaut John Glenn into orbit and brought him back safely during a racially segregated era in the United States.
Dr. Washington is from Evansville, Indiana, an affiliate faculty member at Morehouse College, Morehouse School of Medicine, and Spelman College, as well as lead principal investigator of the National Data Science Alliance. She is also a Phi Beta Kappa member, as well as being part of Sigma Xi and mathematics honor societies Kappa Mu Epsilon and Pi Mu Epsilon.
“Her research,” said Tom Pappas, associate director of undergraduate retention and achievement, “is focused on education and policy on mathematics, data science, artificial intelligence, STEM diversity, teaching and learning, and curriculum design.” He also notes that she is the current president of the Association for Women in Mathematics.
IU’s Gamma chapter of Phi Beta Kappa is proud to welcome as distinguished a scholar as Dr. Washington and to offer an opportunity to the rest of the Indiana University Bloomington campus to see her lecture.
“The Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholars Program,” said Pappas, “selects some of America’s most distinguished scholars and facilitates them visiting campuses around the country to exchange ideas between the Visiting Scholars and the resident faculty and students.” The College of Arts and Sciences is home to many Phi Beta Kappa members in IU’s Gamma chapter.
