Melvin Currie

American mathematician and cryptographer

Melvin Currie

Born| 1948

Pittsburgh

Alma mater| Yale University
University of Pittsburgh
Scientific career
Fields| Mathematics
Doctoral advisor| William Fleissner

Melvin Robert Currie is an American mathematician and cryptographer and 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

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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

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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

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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. ^ a b "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

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF
* WorldCat

National|

* Germany
* United States

Academics|

* Mathematics Genealogy Project
* zbMATH
* MathSciNet

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