Charles Wilkes, an MAA Project NExT alumnus, brings a deep commitment to equity, mentorship, and meaningful connection in mathematics. In this spotlight, he reflects on the value of community, offers advice for new MAA MathFest attendees, and shares how MAA Project NExT shaped his path as a mathematics educator.

MAA: Can you discuss your experience with the MAA Project NExT cohort? How did you grow from the program?

Charles Wilkes: My experience with the Project NExT cohort has been fantastic. In addition to meeting at different Mathfest and JMM I have enjoyed the connections with my cohort and various leaders. The biggest growth I’ve experienced in this program is continuing to get connected to other scholars in the field and learning about the hidden curriculum of the academy. Particularly for me as a mathematics educator it is important to stay connected to the field of mathematics and mathematicians specifically. The sessions and conversations cover topics and information that isn’t widely known and is very important to my development as a scholar. Some of those topics include advice about getting tenure, how to get grants, how to improve your teaching, and how you strive for balance. These topics might seem taboo or cliche but as a Project NExTer we spend time discussing these topics in meaningful and powerful ways. 

MAA: What is the best advice you have ever received while in MAA Project NExT? 

Charles Wilkes: There’s a lot of good advice that you will get from Project NExT. Some of the best advice I've received was from one of our keynote speakers. One of our keynote speakers reminded us through an activity that it is important for us as professors to have empathy for our students and to continuously put ourselves in situations that allow us to experience what our students experience. For example, with so much emphasis placed on active learning and teaching to reach every student, sometimes we are forced to teach in ways that we were not taught or in ways that we have not experienced. Therefore it is important for us to understand what students are experiencing, so we can create learning environments that increase the likelihood of student success. 

MAA: What are some of the things that motivate you to strengthen the mathematics profession? Did you identify any of these reasons while you were in MAA Project NExT? 

Charles Wilkes: For me I am a graduate of Morehouse College, an HBCU, where I earned a B.S. in mathematics. My experiences there as well as K-12 and graduate school is what motivates me to strengthen the mathematics profession through ensuring that mathematics is accessible to every student and that every student is supported. Mathematics can be a beautiful discipline, but not everyone experiences that beauty. One way to do this is through ensuring that we provide quality mathematics instruction in higher education, which is one of the emphasis of Project NExT. One of my personal goals is to ensure that students don’t slip through the cracks and that every student, especially Black Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) because the mathematics profession will be better when we leverage the different perspectives and strengths of everyone which is required to think of new problems, solve existing problems in different ways, and solve problems that have not been solved. 

MAA: What advice would you give to new MAA Project NExT cohort members?

Charles Wilkes: The advice that I would give new cohort members is to enjoy your cohort and other cohorts. Step outside of your comfort zone and connect with as many people in your cohort as possible. There is a wealth of knowledge and experience, and I am confident that there are people in my cohort that I will remain connected with in various capacities, which include writing grants, writing manuscripts, and presenting together. Lastly, the leadership team is phenomenal and I would highly recommend connecting with them as they can provide advice to you as an early career scholar. 

MAA: What should MAA MathFest attendees know about Sacramento before arriving? 

Charles Wilkes: Attendees should know that Sacramento is the capital of the state of California. Also, it is a great city near several universities, including University of California Davis and California State University, Sacramento. It will be very hot during the day so stay cool, but at night you will experience coolness from the “delta breeze”. There is plenty to do, which include enjoying beautiful trails, Old Sacramento Town, various restaurants, as well as wineries and breweries. We are also not too far away from the Bay Area for people who want to get to the ocean. 

MAA: Do you have any advice for students or first-time MAA MathFest attendees, particularly those visiting from outside the West Coast?

Charles Wilkes: This will be my third MathFest and it’s one of my favorite conferences. I find this conference to be very welcoming and very easy to connect with people. For first timers and people visiting outside of the West Coast be ready for the time zone adjustment. Be sure to visit the exhibit, attend keynote talks, and attend sessions that you are interested in. Don’t hesitate to get coffee, lunch, or dinner with someone as I find that is an undervalued part of conferences and important at MathFest particularly. 

MAA: What do you hope attendees will take away from their time in Sacramento, both mathematically and personally? 

Charles Wilkes: I hope that they will be inspired mathematically to pursue the next idea, collaboration, and/or opportunity. Personally I hope that they will find at least 5 new connections that they didn’t already know and take some time to explore Sacramento. I hope they walk away feeling burnt out, which means that they went to sessions, met people, presented, and explored Sacramento among other things. I also hope they leave feeling reinvigorated and ready to take that energy as we kick off the new academic year.