Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC/CUNY) has lost one of its long-time community members.
Sadie Bragg, who served as Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs at BMCC till her retirement in 2014, passed away on Wednesday, October 31, 2018 at Harlem Hospital, New York, N.Y.
Dr. Bragg earned an M.A. and Ed.D. from Teachers College, Columbia University, and joined BMCC in 1970 as a mathematics lecturer in the Manhattan Opportunity Center (MEOC). In 1982, she joined the faculty of the BMCC mathematics department and in 1989, became the college’s Associate Dean of Academic Affairs for Curriculum and Instruction. In 1996, Dr. Bragg was promoted to the role of Vice President of Academic Affairs and in 2014, she retired as Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs.
Dr. Bragg served under five BMCC presidents, and her longest tenure was with Antonio Pérez, president of BMCC from 1995 to August 2018. “Sadie Bragg was totally dedicated to the college and ensuring that our students had all the opportunities to succeed,” said Pérez. “She was an accomplished mathematician, author, loyal colleague and friend.”
Actively involved in mathematics education at local, state and national levels, Dr. Bragg authored or co-authored over 60 mathematics textbooks for K-14 as well as numerous other publications, presentations and papers. She served on committees including the Advisory Board to the Education and Human Resources Directorate of the National Science Foundation (NSF). She was instrumental in leading two-year colleges into a global dialogue through the International Congress of Mathematics Education (ICME), and partnered with George Ekol, a mathematics educator from Uganda, to present at the ICME conference in Monterey, Mexico in 2008.
At BMCC, Dr. Bragg worked closely with faculty and staff to meet the needs of BMCC students through Phi Theta Kappa, ASAP and other groups. Recognized for her service to the field, she was awarded the American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges (AMATYC) Mathematics Excellence Award in 2010.
Upon her retirement in 2014, Dr. Bragg planned to tutor children in afterschool mathematics programs and spend more time with her family and friends.
