In 2005 the Infinite Possibilities Conference Steering Committee, along with the Spelman College Mathematics Department and the Falconer Family, established the Etta Z. Falconer Award for Mentoring and Commitment to Diversity to recognize individuals who have demonstrated a professional commitment to mentoring and increasing diversity in the sciences, and in particular the mathematical sciences.
This year we are pleased to present this award to Dr. Sylvia Bozeman.
1 comment:
In the words of Dr. Leona Harris, Co-Chair of the 2007 Infinite Possibilities Conference, during the presentation of the Dr. Etta Z. Falconer Award for Mentoring and Commitment to Diversity to Dr. Sylvia Bozeman:
“In the Fall of 1991, I walked into the office of Dr. Bozeman with my working papers. I was assigned to do my college work-study in the Dept. of Mathematics with her. She was the Chair at the time. Now, I am not sure how the work study is assigned, so I do not know whether I picked this assignment or whether she picked me. But I will tell you that it was one of the best decisions made in my life. That day changed my life. From the first day I met her, Dr. Bozeman took me under her wing and started filling my head with all of the possibilities and opportunities that were available to me. As I organized her office and tutored her students she sprinkled drops of wisdom in my ears and encouraged me to reach for the stars.
What I remember most is that she never discouraged me from doing something I wanted to do. Instead she would emphasize and sometimes re-emphasize why another option that might be better. When I told her that I wanted to be an actuary, she said ‘okay that is wonderful’ and then when I told her several times that I wanted to be an actuary then she got busy. I think Dr. Bozeman knew from the beginning that I could and should obtain a PhD, so she started working on me. She brought me information about summer research programs in my freshman year and encouraged me to apply - even to a program that explicitly asked for juniors and seniors. And what do you know, I got in. Every chance she got, she did things to prepare me for graduate school and the world ahead of me and for that I will be forever grateful. She’s always been there to steer me in the right direction, even now as a junior faculty member. I don’t know what my life would be like without her. I can truly say that she is much more than one of my old professors, she is my mentor, she is my friend, and I think of her as a second mother.
Now, this is just what Dr. Bozeman had done for me. Dr. Bozeman has helped, guided, advised, mentored, supervised, encouraged, and inspired a lot of people, many of whom are here in this room. So what I would like to do now is to ask that if Dr. Bozeman has greatly impacted your life, your well-being, your career, your job, or your education, I want you to stand with me and remain standing as I present the 2007 Dr. Etta Z. Falconer Award for Mentoring and Commitment to Diversity to Dr. Sylvia Bozeman.”
Post a Comment