University of Liberia Recruits Navier-Stokes Researcher to Head Mathematics, Signaling Pivot to Advanced STEM
- Michael T
- 6 hours ago
- 3 min read
FENDALL CAMPUS, Liberia, Nov. 30, 2025 — The University of Liberia (UL) has made a high-profile faculty appointment, naming a Liberian-born mathematician engaged in one of the world's most challenging unsolved mathematical problems to lead its Department of Mathematics and Statistics.
Dr. Melvin M. Kollie, a UL alumnus with extensive international academic experience, has been appointed Chair of the department at the rank of Assistant Professor by UL President Dr. Layli Maparyan. The move is seen as a strategic step to significantly elevate the university's academic standing in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education and research.
Dr. Kollie's recruitment was the result of what Dr. Maparyan described as a "serendipitous encounter" at a U.S. airport earlier this year. Dr. Kollie, who was contemplating a second Ph.D. abroad, was persuaded by the President to return home.
"She told me to come back home 'because we need you home right now,'" Dr. Kollie recounted, adding that Dr. Maparyan stressed the need for his expertise to contribute to the department's advancement.
Frontier Research and Global Profile
The appointment gains particular significance from Dr. Kollie's ongoing research into the Navier–Stokes Existence and Smoothness Problem, one of the seven Millennium Prize Problems established by the Clay Mathematics Institute, which carries a $1 million award for a definitive solution.
The challenge involves proving whether smooth, globally defined solutions always exist for the Navier-Stokes equations, which describe the motion of viscous fluids. A proof of existence or non-existence would have profound implications for theoretical physics, fluid dynamics, and engineering.
"My ongoing work will enhance the university’s academic reputation by positioning it among institutions engaged in world-class mathematical research," Dr. Kollie said. "Beyond the monetary award, the greatest reward is the academic recognition and lasting impact such a breakthrough would have on mathematics, physics, and engineering."
Strategic Institutional Investment
President Maparyan emphasized that the move is foundational to UL's broader institutional development goals. "Mathematics is the linchpin of careers in STEM," Dr. Maparyan noted. "Therefore, I knew that our Mathematics Department needed expert leadership—a pure mathematician with a firm grasp of the field at its highest level."
Dr. Maparyan indicated that Dr. Kollie’s research profile and his connection to both mathematics and engineering made him the ideal candidate to inspire both students and faculty. "I knew that would do wonders for UL’s institutional ranking and would also inspire Liberia’s own mathematicians and math students," she added.
Dr. Kollie returns to his alma mater with formidable credentials, including three master's degrees and a Ph.D. in Mathematics Education from Florida International University (FIU), where he received the Dean's Recognition Award for Academic Excellence. His prior graduate work included studies in Civil Engineering at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China.
As the new Chair, Dr. Kollie has outlined several initiatives aimed at departmental reform, including:
Implementing a thesis-writing program for undergraduates.
Revamping existing course syllabi.
Introducing international colloquium talks via remote conferencing.
Building faculty capacity and developing a dedicated departmental website for academic resources.
With over seven years of teaching experience, Dr. Kollie currently teaches advanced mathematics and engineering courses, including Calculus III, Advanced Differential Equations, and Complex Analysis. He remains "optimistic that continued effort will bring me closer to a meaningful solution" to the Navier-Stokes problem, even as he takes on administrative and pedagogical leadership.
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