NCID-1653
Nate Brown
Professor of Mathematics
Penn State University
Education/Degree:
1 Mathematics (Purdue University)
About
Nate Brown is a theoretical mathematician with a deep commitment and passion for equity and inclusion, particularly in STEM fields. He has coordinated the math component of Penn State's Millennium Scholars Program, which is modeled on the Meyerhoff Scholars Program at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, since its inception in 2013. He administers the website www.stemfeminist.com giving voice to those who've experienced sexism in STEM fields. In 2017, he was awarded the Robinson Equal Opportunity Award for his work at Penn State.
Current Work
The majority of Dr. Brown's scientific work is in operator algebras, a branch of theoretical mathematics which arose from quantum mechanics in the early 20th century. Recently, however, he's been working on social scientific/education projects related to diversity in STEM fields. For instance, he's currently conducting a study which aims to assess student-teacher interpersonal experiences in college-level math classes and the effects of said experiences on both affective variables (e.g. math confidence among students) and academic outcomes such as grades or persistence.
Research Area Keyword(s)
diversity in STEM, math, Operator algebras