Kemp Makes History As First Black Student to Receive Ph.D. in Mathematics from Indiana University

Final month, Dr. Dóminique Kemp reached a milestone that few people obtain in arithmetic schooling.

The Indiana College pupil turned the primary Black graduate to earn a Ph.D. in arithmetic, Indiana Every day Scholar reported. Practically a century in the past, Elbert Frank Cox was acknowledged as the primary black individual to earn a Ph.D. in arithmetic. He acquired his diploma from Standford College in 1925 and spent most of his profession as a professor at Howard College.

Few have been empowered to additional their arithmetic schooling since that point. However Kemp desires to vary that. He’s on a mission to encourage and empower the subsequent era of mathematicians.

“I feel lots of college students don’t go into math as a result of it appears formidable to face the spectre of isolation, however I can play an element now that I’ve a level,” Kemp instructed the Indiana Every day Scholar. “I need to create extra consciousness of Theoretical Arithmetic as a result of I feel it made it tougher for me as a result of rising up I had no concept there was such a factor as Theoretical Arithmetic analysis.”

Kemp Earns Ph.D. in Arithmetic

Kemp grew up in Lansing, Michigan. He was homeschooled throughout his teen years and attended Stanford College to pursue an undergraduate diploma in Arithmetic.

In 2015, Kemp began his Ph.D. program at Indiana College Bloomington. Throughout that point, there have been no Black professors in arithmetic. For the final three years, he was the one Black pupil enrolled within the Ph.D program. That’s why it was vital for Kemp to be actively concerned on campus. He knew that his presence would encourage different college students to contemplate arithmetic as an academic path.

“I used to be the closest the scholars received to having a Black arithmetic professor right here at IU after I was an affiliate teacher,” Kemp mentioned. “In 2018, I imagine, I turned the one one within the Arithmetic Ph.D. program when the final of the opposite two Black college students departed from this system.”

Kemp Needs to Shut the Confidence Hole

Kemp devoted time to tutoring college students in arithmetic. His expertise at Indiana College uncovered him to the ability of illustration. It additionally make clear the lack of expertise of STEM profession paths within the Black group. Kemp is able to increase his influence as a arithmetic researcher. He’ll be spending time on the College of Wisconsin over the subsequent 4 years. He will even attend the Institute for Superior Examine at Princeton for his postdoctoral place in 2023. Kemp is aware of that his path can have a optimistic influence on the subsequent era of math students who could also be discouraged.

“Doing graduate college has actually opened my eyes to the issue of underrepresentation of Blacks within the STEM discipline. And now it has grow to be a giant deal to me,” Kemp instructed The Herald-Occasions.

Kemp additionally shares that his diploma accomplishment will all the time supersede every other accomplishment. He’s pleased with what this diploma represents. “I began off with little or no encouragement and little or no hope and it by no means appeared prefer it was going to occur till 4 or 5 months in the past after I had job provides,” Kemp shared with the Indiana Every day Scholar. “So simply to be striving within the midst of a lot discouragement I don’t assume the rest I do in life will evaluate.”