Melvin Currie
Born1948
Pittsburgh
Alma materYale University
University of Pittsburgh
Scientific career
FieldsMathematics
Doctoral advisorWilliam Fleissner

Melvin Robert Currie is an American mathematician and cryptographer. He is a former Chief of the Cryptographic Research and Design Division at the National Security Agency. His recognitions include a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of Mathematicians, the 2007 Crypto-Mathematics Institute's Leadership Award, the NSA Director's Distinguished Service Medal, and recognition as a Black History Month 2019 Honoree by Mathematically Gifted & Black.[1][2] He is the author of the 2018 popular mathematics book Mathematics: Rhyme and Reason, published jointly by the American Mathematical Society and the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute.[3] Currie is also the author of the 2019 novel Just Before Too Late.

Early life

Currie is African-American. He was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1948. His parents separated when he was six. Currie spent the rest of his childhood living with his mother, younger brother, and maternal grandparents.[4]

His uncle is jazz musician Ahmad Jamal.[5]

Education

Currie received a BA from Yale University, where he majored in mathematics and economics. He went to graduate school at the University of Pittsburgh.[4] He received his PhD in mathematics in 1983; his advisor was William Fleissner, and the title of his dissertation was A metric characterization of the irrationals via a group operation.[6]

References

  1. ↑ "Dr. Mel Currie, Southwestern District". Baltimore City Office of Civil Rights. 30 August 2017. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  2. ↑ "Melvin Currie". Mathematically Gifted & Black.
  3. ↑ "Mathematics: Rhyme and Reason". AMS Bookstore. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  4. 1 2 "Melvin Robert Currie". Mathematical Association of America. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
  5. ↑ Williams, Scott. "Melvin Robert Currie". Mathematicians of the African Diaspora. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  6. ↑ Melvin Currie at the Mathematics Genealogy Project


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