Tatiana Shubin

Tatiana Shubin is a Soviet and American mathematician known for her work developing math circles, social structures for the mathematical enrichment of secondary-school students, especially among the Navajo and other Native American people. She is a professor of mathematics at San José State University in California.[1]

Education and career

Shubin is originally from Ukraine, the daughter of a criminologist and a lawyer; she is of Jewish descent on her father's side. When she was ten, her family moved to Almaty in Kazakhstan, where her father had taken a university teaching position. After competing in the All Siberian Mathematics Competition she was invited to a special science boarding school in Akademgorodok, but after spending 8th grade there her parents brought her back to Almaty where she finished high school at age 16. She studied for five years at Moscow State University, earning a bachelor's degree there, but was expelled for non-participation in political activities and instead earned a master's degree at Kazakh State University in Almaty.[2]

After obtaining a letter of invitation from an Israeli, she was allowed to leave the Soviet Union, spent nine months in Austria, and then emigrated to the US in 1978, with support from the Tolstoy Foundation.[2] She completed a Ph.D. at the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1983,[1] and joined the San José State University faculty as a lecturer in 1985.[2][3]

Math circles

Shubin founded the San José Math Circles.[2] She co-founded the first math teachers' circle in 2006, and is a leader of the Math Teachers’ Circle Network that developed out of this circle. She was a co-founder of the Navajo Nation Math Circles project in 2012,[3] and is a director of the Alliance of Indigenous Math Circles.[4]

Publications

Shubin is the coeditor of several books on mathematics:

  • Mathematical Adventures for Students and Amateurs (edited with David F. Hayes, Mathematical Association of America, 2004)[5]
  • Expeditions in Mathematics (edited with Gerald L. Alexanderson and David F. Hayes, Mathematical Association of America, 2011)[6]
  • Inspiring Mathematics: Lessons from the Navajo Nation Math Circles (edited with Dave Auckly, Bob Klein, and Amanda Serenevy, MSRI Mathematical Circles Library 24, Mathematical Sciences Research Institute and American Mathematical Society, 2019)[7]

Her work developing math circles among the Navajo was featured in the documentary film Navajo Math Circles (2016), broadcast on the Public Broadcasting System.[8]

Recognition

Shubin was the 2006 winner of the Award for Distinguished College or University Teaching of Mathematics of the Golden Section (Northern California, Nevada, and Hawaii) of the Mathematical Association of America.[3] She was the 2017 winner of the Mary P. Dolciani Award of the Mathematical Association of America.[9]

She has been named a Sequoyah Fellow by the American Indian Science and Engineering Society. The Navajo Todích’íí’nii (Bitter Water) clan have adopted her as a member.[4]

References
  1. "Tatiana Shubin", Faculty, SJSU Department of Mathematics & Statistics, retrieved 2020-10-28; "Tatiana Shubin", People, San José State University, retrieved 2020-10-28; Faculty (alphabetical), SJSU Department of Mathematics & Statistics, retrieved 2020-10-28
  2. Tran, Jacqueline My Anh (2004), "A Mathematician Receives a Warm Welcome in a Free Society", 2004 AWM Essay Contest, Association for Women in Mathematics, retrieved 2020-10-28
  3. Tatiana Shubin, Tulsa Math Teachers' Circle, retrieved 2020-10-28
  4. Our people: Directors, Alliance of Indigenous Math Circles, retrieved 2020-10-28
  5. Reviews of Mathematical Adventures for Students and Amateurs:
    • Althoen, Steven C., zbMATH, Zbl 1049.00002CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link)
    • Ashbacher, Charles (2003–2004), Journal of Recreational Mathematics, 32 (4): 319–320, ProQuest 89064526CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link)
    • Coupland, Mary (2005), The Australian Mathematics Teacher, 61 (1), Gale A164525443CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link)
    • Glass, Darren (July 2004), "Review", MAA Reviews, Mathematical Association of America
    • Rogge, William (August 2005), The Mathematics Teacher, 99 (1): 76, JSTOR 27971867CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link)
    • Rosoff, Jeffrey; Dobler, Carolyn Pillers (November 2005), The American Statistician, 59 (4): 352, doi:10.1198/tas.2005.s35, JSTOR 27643711, S2CID 121040201, ProQuest 228484025CS1 maint: untitled periodical (link)
  6. Reviews of Expeditions in Mathematics:
  7. Review of Inspiring Mathematics: Lessons from the Navajo Nation Math Circles:
    • Olszewski, Peter (February 2020), "Review", MAA Reviews, Mathematical Association of America
  8. Professor's Project Helps Navajo Students Add Interest in Math, Kansas State University, 14 September 2016, retrieved 2020-10-28 – via Newswise
  9. "Shubin Honored with Mary P. Dolciani Award: MTC Network leader honored for bringing Math Circles to new communities", MTCircular, Math Teachers' Circle Network, Spring 2018, retrieved 2020-10-28
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