The Department of Mathematics and Statistical Sciences has been a part of Jackson State University since it was known as Jackson State College. Back then it was simply known as Mathematics, and it was one of the first majors at Jackson State College when the curriculum was expanded to include bachelor’s degree programs in arts and sciences. It became a Department of Mathematics in 1962, and Robert E. Lee was the first chairperson of the department and served from 1962-1966. The department was renamed again in 2014 to the current name of Department of Mathematics and Statistical Sciences to include, among the degrees offered, a bachelor’s degree program in statistics.

The department has evolved over the years with the ever-increasing changing demands for mathematics and its applications and has continued to modify its course offerings and degree programs. It has also continued to diversify its faculty specializations in order to keep pace with advances in mathematical research and service courses provision for the university’s rich intellectual community and varying academic programs that have foundations in mathematics, statistics and technological advances. At present, the department consists of twelve regular faculty members and several adjunct faculty instructors, with specialization in abstract mathematics, applied mathematics, computational mathematics, classical analysis, data centric mathematics, computational data enabled science and engineering (CDSE), mathematics education, number theory, operator theory, dynamical systems, approximation theory, functional analysis, topology, and statistics. The department’s current course offerings range from college algebra courses to advanced research topics for doctoral students in CDSE.

The early faculty members of the department included John A. Peoples, a 1950 graduate of the program who later became the 6th President of the University; William White, a Rust College graduate who became an Associate Dean of the College of Science, Engineering and Technology; Robert E. Lee, the first chairperson of the Department of Mathematics; Jesse C. Lewis, known as the father of computational learning at JSU, who was chairperson and later became the Dean of Computer Services at Jackson State University and then Vice President for Academic Affairs at Norfolk State University, Norfolk, Virginia. David James Hickman, who was chair of the department from 1972-1976, joined the department after having taught at Mississippi Valley State University, the Southern University of New Orleans, and Prairie View A&M University. He earned a Master of Science degree and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in mathematics from the University of Notre Dame in pure mathematics. His doctoral dissertation was entitled "The Tschebyscheff Polynomials for Regular Polygons Inscribed in the Unit Circle of the Complex Plane”. He worked diligently to modernize the mathematics program at JSU and restructured its course offering towards classical analysis, or “hard analysis” as they called it, and applications. It is this thinking that the department has since evolved from and continued the tradition of applied mathematics and computational thinking at JSU. Two 1970s graduates who joined the faculty after completing their doctoral degrees in mathematics are Roosevelt Gentry, who served as chair of the Department of Mathematics for 10 years and Bessie Tucker-McGinnis, one of the early female faculty of the Department of Mathematics. Corlis Johnson, a female graduate of the program, became a professor of mathematics at the Mississippi State University. Mrs. Wanda Woods Helm (1964-1989), the first female faculty member, developed the Mathematics Education program and was a great mentor of Dr. Bessie Tucker McGinnis and to all female students. She was instrumental in their advanced mathematics studies. These faculty members and their colleagues, too numerous to mention, were the backbone of the quality mathematics instruction in the department and were often honored for their excellence in teaching, research, and service. Many of the current faculty members have received funded research awards and are honored for engaging their students in research activities. They are also known for pedagogical innovations in teaching mathematics and the infusion of technology in the teaching and learning of mathematics and statistics. Their summarized biographical sketches are listed under the faculty and staff link on the department’s website.

Dr. John A. Peoples	Dr. Jesse C. Lewis	Dr. David James Hickman

The graduates of our degree programs have successful records of accomplishments in business, education, government, and in professional, graduate and advanced studies programs. Some have even become lawyers. In 1977, Margaret Harris became the first student to defend a Master’s Thesis in Mathematics at JSU entitled Reverse Spellings Represent Spikes for Words of Complexity Two, and in 1979, Louis Hamilton, Jr. was one of the first students who received the Education Specialist (Ed.S.) Degree in Mathematics at JSU with the project entitled A Proof of the Schroeder-Bernstein Theorem. Many of our students who have earned the bachelor’s degree or Master’s degrees have earned the doctor of philosophy degree in mathematics or related fields and hold jobs in the business world and government, as well as in academia. Of those who have become professors at other institutions, several have become chairs of mathematics or deans.

The Department of Mathematics and Statistical Sciences has attracted many external gifts of financial support and competitive grants over the years. It has four standing endowed scholarships for undergraduate students majoring in mathematics, mathematics education, and statistics.

The major goal of the department is to provide every student at JSU, from freshmen enrolled in college algebra or calculus to masters and doctoral candidates, a world-class foundation in mathematics, statistics, and CDSE that is necessary for success in the world that is perpetually moving. We urge you to come to Jackson State University and choose a major in the Department of Mathematics and Statistical Sciences. We have a highly qualified, caring, and dedicated faculty, who will train you to become the best mathematician or statistician you can be.

Department Chairs

1962 – 1966 Robert E. Lee
1966 — 1972 Jesse Lewis
1972 — 1976 David James Hickman
1976 — 1986 Roosevelt Gentry
1986 — 1996 Joseph Colen
1996 – 1997 Dan Course
1997 – 2003 Henry Gore, Jr
2003 – 2004 William White
2004 – 2014 Tor A. Kwembe

Mathematics and Statistical Sciences

2014 – Present Tor A. Kwembe

Academic Degree Programs Offered Over the Years (Current and in the Past):

Bachelor of Science in Secondary Mathematics Teaching — BSED
Bachelor of Science in Mathematics — BS
Master of Science in Teaching Mathematics —- MST
Master of Science in Mathematics —- MS
Minors in Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, Statistics, Computer Science, and Actuarial Science
Education Specialist —– EdS
Bachelor of Science in Statistics —– BS
Master of Science in Computational Data Enabled Science and Engineering (CDS&E) – MS
Doctor of Philosophy in CDS&E —– PhD