Published: December 1, 2025
Fendall Campus, University of Liberia — A world-class mathematician has been recruited to serve at the University of Liberia, a move that is said to have resulted from President Layli Maparyan’s efforts to elevate the university to a globally recognized standard.
Dr. Maparyan has brought Dr. Melvin M. Kollie, the renowned Liberian mathematician, in an effort to improve STEM education programs at the university.
Dr. Kollie is a graduate of the University of Liberia and is engaged in pioneering global research. He has come full circle by returning to his alma mater after a chance meeting with UL President Dr. Layli Maparyan, where he traces his roots.
Dr. Kollie, who started his college career as an undergraduate in the Department of Mathematics, was recently appointed Chair of the Department at the rank of Assistant Professor by Dr. Maparyan, according to UL Public Relations.
According to Cllr. Norris Tweah, Vice President for UL Relations, Dr. Kollie’s appointment was the result of a fortunate (lucky) 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,’” Tweah quoted Dr. Kollie as saying to UL President, Dr. Marpayan, recalling the knowledgeable mathematician’s 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,” Kollie said.
Dr. Maparyan and Dr. Kollie continued their conversation beyond that initial meeting, and Dr. Maparyan eventually persuaded Kollie to postpone his plans and return home to lead the Mathematics Department. Dr. Kollie is returning to his alma mater after years spent expanding 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,” Kollie assured.
Dr. Kollie and boosting UL Academic Profile Globally
Eversince Dr. Maparyan became President of UL, she has spoke about seeing the University through its transition from a barely university in the sub-region to a global ranking that would attract students and programs from abroad. As such, recruiting experts like Kollie promises to take her dream to the land of reality.
Dr. Kollie is not only back at UL with three master’s degrees and a PhD with distinction and honors, but he is also involved in cutting-edge mathematical research that could boost UL’s global academic reputation. Dr. Kollie is among the world’s leading mathematicians working on the Navier–Stokes Existence and Smoothness Problem, one of the most challenging and prestigious Millennium Prize Problems, which offers a US$1 million reward if solved.
According to a renowned mathematician, the challenge lies in proving whether smooth and globally defined solutions always exist, something mathematicians have yet to establish. “My ongoing work will enhance the university’s academic reputation by positioning it among institutions engaged in world-class mathematical research,” Dr. Kollie said. He added: “It will inspire students to tackle challenging problems and open opportunities for collaboration, research funding, and interdisciplinary innovation.”
He continued that “Beyond the monetary award, the greatest reward is the academic recognition and lasting impact such a breakthrough would have on mathematics, physics and engineering.”
The UL President, 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 started when he was a student at George Weah School in Paynesville, where learning about Carl Friedrich Gauss inspired his lifelong passion for the field. That enthusiasm led 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 a focus on Geotechnical Engineering, at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China, where he graduated in 2016. Dr. Kollie returned to UL that same year and taught in the Department of Civil Engineering. He then continued his studies at Florida International University (FIU) in the United States, earning his second Master’s degree in Mathematical Sciences with honors and receiving 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 Maths Department at UL
At UL, Dr. Kollie has resumed teaching 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 over 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 and professors via Zoom, and building faculty capacity. Another initiative includes 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,” he said, noting that he remains “optimistic that continued effort will bring him closer to a meaningful solution.”
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