Pomona College professor of mathematics and statistics Edray Goins was recently elected president of the Mathematical Association of America.

“At its fundamental heart, the MAA has this goal of saying math is something we all need to be happy in our lives,” Goins told pomona.edu/news. “That’s a very powerful statement to make. But I can say in everything the MAA does — programming, conferences — we put that mission statement at the forefront.”

Goins is both the first mathematician from Pomona College and first African American to be elected MAA’s president in its 110-year history.

Goins will lead efforts with addressing math research and education funding and enrollment numbers in math majors. Goins was past chair of the association’s congress and served on various committees including the board of directors. He is the second mathematician from the Claremont Colleges to serve as president, following Harvey Mudd College’s Francis Su’s 2015-17 tenure. Goins was featured in the 2024 documentary, “Journeys of Black Mathematicians.”

“I want to give people a lot of hope about what the future of the mathematics community can be,” Goins told pomona.edu/news. “Because the MAA has this mission of math for human flourishing, my hope is that members will really understand math isn’t just about having the majors or having the funding to do grants.”