Fendall Campus, Nov. 26, 2025| A world-class Liberian mathematician, engaged in pioneering global research has come full circle, returning to his University of Liberia roots after a chance meeting with UL President Dr. Layli Maparyan.

Dr. Melvin M. Kollie, who began his college career as an undergraduate in the Department of Mathematics, was recently named Chair of the Department at the rank of Assistant Professor by Dr. Maparyan.

His appointment resulted from a serendipitous encounter with Dr. Maparyan at a U.S. airport earlier this year.

“I said I wanted to do my second Ph.D., but she told me to come back home ‘because we need you home right now,’” Dr. Kollie said, recalling his conversation with the President. “She said based on my profile;she’d like me to return and contribute to the Department of Mathematics and Statistics.” 

The two would continue conversing beyond that initial meeting, and Dr. Maparyan would eventually convince him to postpone his plans and return home to lead the Mathematics Department.

Dr. Kollie is returning to his alma mater after years spent broadening and deepening his expertise in mathematics and engineering through graduate studies in China and the U.S.

“That has been my dream—to go out there, improve myself, and come back to help the Department of Mathematics because this is where I’m from,” Dr. Kollie said. “I’m excited to be back, and I look forward to working with the students and faculty to advance mathematics at the University of Liberia and across the country.”

Boosting UL Academic Profile Globally

Dr. Kollie is not only back at UL with three master’s degrees and a PhD with distinction and honors, but he is also engaging in frontier-level mathematical research that could elevate the UL’s academic reputation globally. 

Dr. Kollie is among the world’s top mathematicians working to solve the Navier–Stokes Existence and Smoothness Problem, one of the toughest and most prestigious Millennium Prize Problems, worth $1 million if solved. 

According to Dr. Kollie, the challenge lies in proving whether smooth and globally defined solutions always exist, something mathematicians have yet to prove.

“My ongoing work will enhance the university’s academic reputation by positioning it among institutions engaged in world-class mathematical research,” he said. “It will inspire students to tackle challenging problems and open opportunities for collaboration, research funding and interdisciplinary innovation.”

Dr. Kollie added: “Beyond the monetary award, the greatest reward is the academic recognition and lasting impact such a breakthrough would have on mathematics, physics and engineering.”

Dr. Maparyan said mathematics is a core subject that all undergraduates must take, and it is the linchpin of careers in STEM, including fields like engineering, architecture and health sciences, all of which are crucial to national development. 

“Therefore, I knew that our Mathematics Department needed expert leadership—a pure mathematician with a firm grasp of the field at its highest level,” she said.

The President said she found those qualities and more in Dr. Kollie.

“After one or two conversations with Melvin Kollie—after learning that he is working on one of the most important unsolved mathematical conundrums in the world as part of his research, observing his expertise and passion for mathematics, and learning about his past experience and connections to both Mathematics and Engineering at UL and internationally—I knew I wanted to persuade him to come back to Liberia and make a difference. I knew that would do wonders for UL’s institutional ranking and would also inspire Liberia’s own mathematicians and math students,” she said.

Formidable Academic Credentials

Dr. Kollie’s love for mathematics began as a student at George Weah School in Paynesville, where discovering the work of Carl Friedrich Gauss inspired his lifelong dedication to the field.

That passion spurred him to earn a B.Sc. in Mathematics and Physics from the University of Liberia in 2012. He joined the university’s faculty as an instructor in 2013. UL later sponsored him to pursue his first Master’s degree in Civil Engineering, with an emphasis on Geotechnical Engineering, at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China, from which he graduated in 2016.

Dr. Kollie returned to UL that same year and taught in the Department of Civil Engineering. He later continued his studies at Florida International University (FIU) in the United States, where he obtained his second Master’s degree in Mathematical Sciences, graduating with honors and winning the Best Thesis Award in 2020.

In 2023, he earned his third Master’s degree in Education (STEM Specialization) from FIU. In July 2024, he completed his Ph.D. in Mathematics Education at FIU, receiving the Dean’s Recognition Award for Academic Excellence.

Vision for the Department

At UL, Dr. Kollie teaches mathematics and engineering courses, including Pre-Calculus through Calculus III, Advanced Differential Equations for Engineers, and Complex Analysis. Additionally, he contributes to civil engineering courses, teaching Advanced Soil Mechanics, Foundations, and Engineering Drawing.

With more than seven years of teaching experience, Dr. Kollie said his goal is to make a significant impact on mathematics and STEM education in Liberia and beyond.

“I hope to mentor future educators and researchers who will strengthen STEM education and contribute to the nation’s development,” he said.

He is currently developing several new initiatives for the department, including:

• Implementing thesis-writing programs

• Revamping course syllabi

• Introducing colloquium talks featuring local and international mathematics lecturers/professors via Zoom

• Building faculty capacity

• Developing a departmental website for publications and academic resources

Additionally, Dr. Kollie continues his research to solve one of the world’s hardest math problems. 

“I have been working on this problem for over five years,” he said. “It remains highly complex, but each stage of research has deepened my understanding of fluid dynamics and mathematical modeling.”

Dr. Kollie said he remains “optimistic that continued effort will bring me closer to a meaningful solution.”