Community hub
Recent from talks
Contribute something
Nothing was collected or created yet.
Overtoun Jenda
View on WikipediaOvertoun Malandula G. Jenda[1] is a Malawi-born American mathematician. He is a Professor of Mathematics and Assistant Provost for Special Projects and Initiatives at Auburn University. Jenda received a Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring in 2020 and was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2024.
Key Information
Early life and education
[edit]Jenda was born and raised in Malawi.[2] He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics from the University of Malawi before moving to the United States. He then completed a Master of Science and PhD in mathematics from the University of Kentucky.[3] His PhD was completed under the advisement of Edgar Earle Enochs.[1]
Career
[edit]After completing his PhD, Jenda taught at the University of Kentucky until 1988, when he accepted a professorship at Auburn University (AU).[2] As he was the only Black faculty member in the department, he was often sought out by Black students for assistance and guidance.[4] In 1994, Jenda established the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program at AU and started a summer internship program for minority students.[4][5] As the director of LSAMP, Jenda opened and operated a drop-in tutoring center and developed an outreach program aimed at recruiting high-school students interested in engineering.[6][7] He also established the Summer Bridge Program to help minority students get acclimated to the changes from high school to university.[8] Outside of his work with LSAMP, Jenda was appointed a Full professor in 1997 and became the associate dean of the College of Sciences and Mathematics in 2000.[9] Jenda ran the Summer Bridge Program until 2006 when he was appointed AU's associate provost for diversity and multicultural affairs.[9][4]
As an associate provost, Jenda established the Provost Leadership Undergraduate Scholarship (PLUS) Program to support underrepresented students.[10] By 2009, PLUS had provided scholarships to 125 students, including 55 first-generation college students. As such, PLUS received the 2009 Scholarship Provider of the Year Award from the National Scholarship Providers Association.[11][12] In 2011, Jenda co-founded the Southern Africa Mathematical Sciences Association Masamu project to increase the presence of American mathematical research in Africa.[13]
Jenda received a Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring in 2020[14] and was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2024.[15]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Overtoun Malandula G. Jenda". genealogy.math.ndsu.nodak.edu. Retrieved May 17, 2025.
- ^ a b "Malawi's own Prof. Overtoun Jenda honoured among world's top scientists". Nyasa Times. May 4, 2025. Archived from the original on May 5, 2025. Retrieved May 17, 2025.
- ^ "Meet the Southeast Hub". TAPDINTO-STEM Alliance. Archived from the original on December 11, 2024. Retrieved May 17, 2025.
- ^ a b c Abebe, Ash; Lenhart, Suzanne; McCullough, Brittany (February 2021). "Overtoun Jenda: A STEM Mentor Extraordinaire" (PDF). Notices of the American Mathematical Society. 68: 2. doi:10.1090/noti2214. Retrieved May 17, 2025.
- ^ "LSAmp: Our History". Auburn University. Archived from the original on May 18, 2025. Retrieved May 18, 2025.
- ^ Chapman, Michelle (December 17, 1996). "AU center teaches concepts". Birmingham Post-Herald. Retrieved May 17, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Edwards, Norval (November 18, 1996). "Minorities at Auburn boosted by Coca-Cola". Ledger-Enquirer. Retrieved May 17, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Minority students get head start at Auburn". Ledger-Enquirer. September 17, 1997. Retrieved May 17, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Overtoun Jenda named Auburn's diversity chief". The Selma Times-Journal. November 6, 2005. Retrieved May 17, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Weaver, Amy (May 25, 2006). "AU seeking to increase minorities on campus". The Opelika-Auburn News. Retrieved May 17, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Scholarship: 125 students aided since '06". The Birmingham News. March 10, 2010. Retrieved May 17, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Auburn's undergraduate scholar program gets national award". The Birmingham News. December 17, 2009. Retrieved May 17, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Miles, Lindsay (February 9, 2015). "Auburn University program promotes worldwide mathematical research in southern Africa". University of Auburn. Retrieved May 17, 2025.
- ^ Reid, Neal (August 13, 2020). "Auburn's Jenda receives prestigious presidential mentoring award". Auburn University. Retrieved May 17, 2025.
- ^ Jernigan, Mike (April 16, 2025). "Auburn faculty members honored as 2024 AAAS Fellows". Auburn University. Retrieved May 17, 2025.
