Sloan Despeaux

Sloan Despeaux is a Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at Western Carolina University (WCU), affiliated with the College of Arts and Sciences. She has been at WCU since 2002. Her academic background includes a PhD in Mathematics from the University of Virginia, an MS in Mathematics from Florida State University, and a BA in Mathematics from Francis Marion University.

Her research focuses on the history of mathematics, particularly the mathematics, mathematicians, and scientific journals of 19th-century Britain. Recently, she has collaborated on a project studying Oswald Veblen, involving interdisciplinary scholars. She is also part of the ANR-funded PatriMaths project, analyzing how encyclopedias in 18th- and 19th-century Britain documented past mathematics.

Despeaux teaches undergraduate and graduate courses, including Freshman Seminars on Fractals, Upper Level Perspectives on the Scientific Revolution, and senior Capstone courses. She co-founded the North Carolina Network of Math Teachers’ Circles and actively participates in the Smoky Mountain Math Teachers’ Circle, emphasizing mathematics education outreach.