In the fall, Urschel will be teaching an intro to linear algebra class for the first time. The course can have up to 300 students. He also works with an MIT program for high schoolers called √mathroots. According to its website, the program was “designed to broaden the talent pool for the mathematical community” – a goal that resonates for Urschel as a Black mathematician.
“There are not very many Black mathematicians, very few of us, a very small number,” he says. “It can be an isolating experience for others.”
He adds: “One of the significant problems we have in this country is, the quality of education for children is very uneven. It’s very hard to catch up on getting behind in math. It can be done, but if you come from an area where the quality of math education is, let’s say, lower than other places in the country, it’s very hard to be successful in math later on. This is something I think about constantly.”
In addition to contemplating how to level this playing field, he – like many of his colleagues in academia – is thinking about the pressure on universities coming from the Trump administration.
“I think it’s something on everyone’s mind,” Urschel says. “Concern is warranted in all parts of academia. It’s not quite so clear what the next few years are going to look like for universities – questions around government funding for fundamental research that often leads to important breakthroughs in the foundational sciences … It’s something that only time will tell what exactly things will look like.”
Not exactly the sort of drive and eloquence one associates with pro-football players.