Degree(s): Math

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Undergraduate Institution: Fisk University (HBCU)

Graduate Institution: Fisk University, University of Texas

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Photo Credit: Waco Tribune-Herald

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Dr. Vivenne Malone-Mayes was the 5th Black woman to earn a Ph.D. in math and the first Black faculty member at Baylor University. After taking a course under fellow representer Dr. Evelyn Boyd Granville (one of the first Black women to earn a Ph.D. in math), she changed her major from medicine to math. Dr. Malone-Mayes also served as the department chair at Paul Quinn College, She was also the first Black person elected to Executive Committee of the Association of Women in Mathematics.

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Fun Fact: When Dr. Malone-Mayes decided to pursue a Ph.D., she initially applied to Baylor University, which rejected her application because she was Black. She later began taking summer courses at the University of Texas, which was federally mandated to accept Black students.

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