Mary Lynn Reed

Mary Lynn Reed is a Professor in the School of Mathematics and Statistics at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), part of the College of Science. She serves as Head of the School of Mathematical Sciences and holds affiliate faculty status with RIT’s ESL Global Cybersecurity Institute. Dr. Reed is also a Board Member of the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA), overseeing federally funded research centers. Previously, she spent 19 years at the National Security Agency (NSA), culminating as Chief of the Mathematics Research Group.

Dr. Reed earned a B.S. in Applied Mathematics from Georgia Tech, an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Maryland, and an M.S./Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Illinois. Her research focuses on algebraic structures, statistical modeling, computational mathematics, and the mathematics of simulation/randomness, with applications in cybersecurity and cryptography. She is a recognized expert in cryptography, network science, and mathematical modeling for communications technology.

Key honors include the Presidential Rank Award, NSA Director’s Distinguished Service Medal, and multiple university alumni awards. As an educator, she emphasizes innovative teaching methods and has mentored students through undergraduate and graduate research programs like MATH-495 and MATH-498. Her professional leadership includes roles as past-President and Distinguished Member of NSA’s Crypto-Mathematics Institute, and participation in conferences/workshops on mathematics communication and career mentoring.