WHAT IS THE J. ERNEST WILKINS jr. LECTURE?

The J. Ernest Wilkins Jr. Lecture series was inaugurated in 1994 during NAM's Undergraduate MATHFest IV at North Carolina A&T. It is named in honor of J. Ernest Wilkins, Jr. (November 27, 1923 -- May 12, 2011)*, an internationally recognized nuclear scientist, mechanical engineer and mathematician. 

J. Ernest Wilkins Jr. was known in the press as the "Negro Genius." Wilkins received his B.S. degree as a Phi Beta Kappa graduate at the age of 16, his M.S. degree at age 17, and his Ph.D. degree at the age of 19. 

Although he has been highly praised as a superb practitioner of his crafts, Wilkins is also widely recognized and acclaimed as a highly productive scholar, having published more than 80 journal articles and having produced an additional 22 unpublished reports for the Atomic Energy Commission. Wilkins is the only African American mathematician-engineer elected as a Fellow to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). The inaugural lecture was given by Wilkins himself. The lecture is to be given annually at the Undergraduate MATHFest, a conference for which Wilkins was a frequent attendee.

* The wiki page incorrectly provides the first name "Jesse" for J. Ernest Wilkins, but does provide a useful summary of some of J's accomplishments.

Nominate the Next J. Ernest Wilkins, Jr. Speaker

We welcome nominations for future J. Ernest Wilkins, Jr. Speakers! Please consider the following criteria:

• J. Erne3st Wilkins, Jr. speakers should be prepared to present a research talk to a general audience of undergraduate math majors in the mathematical sciences.
• Past J. Ernest Wilkins, Jr. speakers are not eligible.

Past NAM J Ernest Wilkins Lectures