Biography:
Nkechi Madonna Adeleine Agwu is a renowned mathematics teacher and esteemed figure in academia. Born on October 8, 1962, in Enugu, Nigeria, she grew up in a family of educators. Her father, Jacob Ukeje Agwu, hailed from Nigeria, while her mother, Europa Lauretta Durosimi Wilson, belonged to Sierra Leone. Agwu’s early life was marked by the Nigerian Civil War, during which her family actively supported the Biafran side. Tragically, their home in Umuahia was damaged by Nigerian bombers. In 1968, seeking safety, Agwu, her mother, and her siblings boarded the final evacuation plane destined for a refugee camp in Equatorial Guinea.
From Equatorial Guinea, they were subsequently transferred to refugee camps in Liberia and Sierra Leone. Devastatingly, upon arriving in Sierra Leone, they discovered that Agwu’s grandmother’s house had burned down, leaving them homeless. While most of her family returned to Nigeria after the war, Agwu remained in Freetown, Sierra Leone. During this time, she pursued her education at the Fourah Bay College Primary School, and later at the Annie Walsh Memorial School.
In 1980, Agwu returned to Nigeria and enrolled at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where she studied mathematics. She exhibited exceptional talent in the subject, earning a bachelor’s degree with honors in 1984. Encouraged by her university teachers, James O.C. Ezeilo and Isabelle Adjaero, she decided to pursue graduate studies at the University of Connecticut. Agwu joined the institution in 1987, after briefly working as a government statistician and lecturer at Kaduna Polytechnic.
However, financial constraints initially hindered her studies. Fortunately, she received funding through a Mathematical Association of America travel award and an award to support the exploration of the history of mathematics in teaching. Agwu completed a master’s degree in mathematics at the University of Connecticut in 1989. She then proceeded to Syracuse University, where she obtained her Ph.D. in mathematics education in 1995.
Agwu’s doctoral dissertation, Using a Computer Laboratory Setting to Teach College Calculus, was supervised by Howard Cornelius Johnson. Throughout her time at Syracuse University, Agwu also engaged in gender studies and multicultural education. Additionally, she actively contributed to campus life as the president of both the African Students Union and the Association of International Students.
Following her outstanding academic achievements, Agwu was appointed Coordinator of the Teaching and Learning Center at the Borough of Manhattan Community College. She also served as a tenured faculty member within the City University of New York system and directed the college’s Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship. Throughout her career, Agwu has excelled as a dedicated mathematics teacher, inspiring countless students through her passion and expertise.