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Being not only an African
American but also a woman,
the odds were against me
from the very beginning.
With hard work and motivation
and the importance of education
stressed to me by my mother,
I was determined not to become
yet another statistic. My
name is Chakara T. Murray
and I am a senior professional
mathematics major at North
Carolina Agricultural and
Technical State University.
My overall objective is to
obtain the necessary experience
that will allow me to excel
in a career that will utilize
my skills in numerical analysis.
Upon completing my undergraduate
studies I plan to pursue
a Master’s Degree in
Mathematics with an applied
concentration in Statistics
“There
are three types of lies – lies,
damned lies and statistics” – Mark
Twain
Perhaps Mark Twain did not
see the beauty of numbers
the way in which I do because
ever since grade school mathematics
has been my favorite subject.
Once I attended college I
was afforded the opportunity
to be exposed to wide varieties
of mathematical courses which
include Calculus I, II, III,
Logic and Theory, Differential
Equations, Linear Algebra
and Matrix Theory, Real Analysis
I &II and Abstract Algebra
I & II. It was here that
I realized that I had a genuine
interest in applying mathematical
and statistical theories
to real world concerns.
During the summer of 2005
I was given the opportunity
to participate in the Undergraduate
Research Experience in Ocean
Marine Science (URE-OMS).
Having never done research
before I was unsure of what
to expect however this experience
has turned out to be extremely
beneficial and worthwhile.
It has given me a first hand
glimpse into what it takes
to complete a successful
research project. This program
has also exposed me to various
computer software programs
that I may not otherwise
have had the opportunity
to explore i.e. Unix, html,
GIS, Macromedia Dreamweaver,
Macromedia Fireworks and
Remote Sensing. As a member
of the dolphin team our main
objective was to determine
if there is a correlation
between the presence and
absence of dolphins according
to sea surface temperature
and chlorophyll-a levels.
Upon completion of this
program I will have achieved
a sense of fulfillment knowing
that my research has made
an impact. I would encourage
everyone to take part in
a research program or an
internship for there is no
experience parallel to hands
on experience.
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