Students Raise Funds For Women In Math and Statistics Scholarship

Before her sudden death on April 9, 2020, UNC Charlotte mathematics alumna Marie Josee Mukamwiza ‘05 had created and was raising support for a “Women in Math and Statistics Scholarship” in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics.

Following her passing, the Actuarial Science Club has picked up the funding drive in memory of Mukamwiza through a Crowdfund UNC Charlotte effort. The club is more than halfway to its goal of $25,000 to endow the scholarship in memory of Mukamwiza, and her husband, Fred Hien, has offered a matching gift.

“She was dedicated to helping women in math and statistics succeed. In her honor, we created a crowdfunding project to endow her scholarship that will provide women financial help in their educational goals for years to come,” said Actuarial Club President Russell Mejia.

Last spring semester, $10,000 was successfully raised. Now, the goal is to raise an additional $15,000 to endow the scholarship fund at $25,000. The fund will provide an annual $500 scholarship to a UNC Charlotte junior or senior dedicated to encouraging gender equality in the field of mathematics and statistics.

The Actuarial Science Club is a student organization that creates a space for students interested in pursuing a career in actuarial science. Actuarial science is a field of applied mathematics, requiring mathematical and statistical skills to study and analyze uncertain events in the insurance and financial fields. 

Compiled by Yoniah Johnson, CLAS student assisant