Genevieve Madeline Knight
Born: June 18, 1939; Birthplace: Brunswick,Georgia
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B.S. Mathematics
(Fort Valley State College - 1961); M.S. Mathematics (Atlanta
University - 1963)
Ph.D. Mathematics
Education (University of Maryland - 1970)
thesis: The Effect of a Sub-Culturally Appropriate Language
upon Achievement in Mathematical Content; Advisors: Henry
Walbasser, Robert Ashlock
Professor of Mathematics,
Coppin State College
Genevieve Madeline Knight grew up in the South and both of her sisters became math and science teachers. After the Russians orbited the first satellite (1956), Sputnik, the government put vast amouts of money to science and mathematics education. Knight chose mathematics "because it had fewer labs than any of the sciences."
Upon graduation from Fort Valley Colege, Knight became an NSF Fellow. It was at an NSF Lecture that Knight actually talked with a woman who had an earned a Ph.D. in mathematics and decided that she would like to have one too! At Atlanta University she had Adulalim Shabazz as thesis advisor at Atlanta University.
From 1963 to 1966 and from 1970 to 1985 she taught mathematics
at Hampton Institute. In 1985, Dr. Knight went, as a Full Professor,
to Coppin State College in Baltimore.
email: GMK01@juno.com
In 1998, I asked Dr. Knight "Why Mathematics?" Here is her response:
I was a college freshman in 1957 enrolled in HOME MAKE ECONOMICS! I was encouraged to major in the sciences or mathematics. In high school I had taken chemistry, physics, biology, French, etc. Guess what? The only major that had few labs was MATHEMATICS! The rest is history: SPUTNIK!
AWARDS
1968-1969 Ford Foundation Faculty Grant, University of Maryland,
UMCP
1974-1975 Junior Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Young Educator
Award, Hampton Roads, Virginia
1976-1977 Mary F. and Christian R. Lindback Distinguished Teaching
Award, Hampton Institute, Virginia
1980 Virginia College Mathematics Teacher of the Year
1980 Fort Valley Outstanding Mathematics Alumnus Award
1983 United Way Of Virginia Peninsula Service Award
1984 Fort Valley State College Mathematics-Physics Alumni Achievement
Award
1987 Fort Valley State College Distinguished Alumni Award
1987 Outstanding Faculty Award for Mathematics and Mentoring to
Minority Youth, White House Initiative
1990 Louise Kerr Hines Distinguished Faculty Award, Division of
Arts & Sciences, Coppin State College
1993 Mathematics Association of America Distinguished Teaching
Award for College/University
Faculty, MD/DC/VA Section
1993 Maryland College Mathematics Teacher of The Year
1996 Wilson H. Elkins Distinguished Professor
references: [Sammons, Blacks in Science and Education]; [Who's Who Among American Women. 1974]
Faces Genevieve Knight page: http://www.princeton.edu/~mcbrown/display/knight.html
SUMMA Genevieve Knight page: http://www.maa.org/summa/archive/knightg.htm
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