Fort Valley State University

Don’t let the quiet, unassuming demeanor of Dr. James E. Glover fool you. The math scholar’s curriculum vita is packed with credentials and a rich background in computer programming. Glover attended Ivy League schools, worked for the nation’s top aerospace firms and through his designs, skills and knowledge assisted in facilitating safe space shuttle launches for the National Aeronautics and Space Agency. This month, he was hired as a professor and chair of Fort Valley State University’s Mathematics, Computer Science and Computer Information Systems Department.

“I hope to increase the level of enthusiasm for mathematics and the sciences which has followed me over the years,” said Glover. “I bring a wide range of technical experience to the teaching arena, as well.”

Glover earned a Ph.D. from Auburn University in combinatorial analysis; a M.A.T. in Mathematics from Harvard University and a master’s degree from State University of New York at Stony Brook. He received a Bachelor of Science at Langston University in mathematics with a minor in chemistry.

Glover has more than 20 years of experience in mathematical sciences, engineering and teaching at several universities, most recently Palm Beach Atlantic University. He taught differential equations, the calculus sequence, discrete mathematics, probability theory, number theory, statistics, matrix theory, linear and abstract algebra. Glover has expertise in VS-FORTRAN and C computer languages. He continually develops statistical applications and reliability analysis software.

The mathematician has worked in climatology: studying the effects of weather and lightning, stress facture mechanics: examining the effects of cracks on airplane parts, finite element structural analysis: analyzing different stresses on finite structures like buildings, and aerospace engineering: which studies the launching of aerospace vehicles. Several of the nation’s top engineering firms such as McDonnell Douglas (Boeing) Corporation, Richard J. Bigda and Associates (Chemical Engineering Consultants), The Aerospace Corporation, and Brookhaven National Laboratory (Fast Reactor Safety Division) are Glover’s past employers. He has also worked for NASA’s Langley Research Center Structures and Dynamics Division, the Goddard Institute for Space Studies, the John F. Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and the San Diego Naval Research and Development Laboratory (NRAD/SPAWR).

In addition to helping students on campus, Glover plans outreach activities to assist young people attending Middle Georgia secondary schools. He has also served with the Youth Motivational Task Force in Los Angeles.