SALEM — Salem State University math professor Kathi Crow has been awarded a science and technology policy fellowship from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
Crow, one of 276 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professionals selected for this national fellowship, will spend a year at the National Science Foundation (NSF) working with the Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) Program.
The fellows learn about how the NSF operates while contributing their expertise and skills to promote the progress of science and support research. Crow noted that her skills and experiences combined to make her a qualified candidate for the fellowship.
“My policy interests are the lack of diversity in STEM fields and the use of data in decision-making. These interests are of use to most government agencies, making me a natural fit for many positions,” she said.
Crow, of Salem, also looks forward to bringing back to campus insight she gains from the experience.
“I’m honored to spend this year serving the government and the STEM communities at HSIs, and delighted that I will be bringing the skills and knowledge I gain this year back to the Salem State community,” she said. “This fellowship provides an opportunity to apply my data skills to help advance STEM initiatives at HSIs while learning more about the HSI landscape and deepening my knowledge of various data systems used in industry.”
Crow has taught math for nearly 20 years, including 13 years at Salem State and at universities in Egypt and Indonesia. She also served as a fulbright scholar at the University of Jordan. She taught a graduate course on Leavitt path algebras and an undergraduate course on Modern Algebra. While there, she is also volunteered with refugees and learned about mathematics from the Middle East.
Crow earned her bachelor’s in mathematics from the College of the Holy Cross and her doctorate in noncommutative ring theory from the University of California at Santa Barbara. Crow is interested in topics of diversity in mathematics, including supporting women in the field. She started the North Shore Undergraduate Math Conference in 2010.
