"Let's Go Do Some Math" Greg Boyd Memorial Scholarship

Murray State College Professor, Gregory Edwin “Greg” Boyd is the son of L. Darrell Boyd and Janie Hamblin- Boyd- Baldwin and was born June 30, 1961, in Lubbock, Texas.

A beloved professor of mathematics at Murray State College in Tishomingo and at the University Center of Southern Oklahoma, Greg grew up in the Lubbock and Amarillo, Texas area. He graduated from Amarillo High School in 1979. He received a BS and MS in math and physics from West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas in May 10, 1997. In his leisure time he enjoyed being with his family and doting on his grandkids, woodworking, fishing and golf. He loved music from rock to classical and he educated many in the art of jazz and rhythm and blues. He began as faculty in the math department at Murray State College in August 1997, serving as Division Chair of Mathematics and Computer Science from 2014 until his passing on March 27, 2019.

Greg was a country boy at heart and students who were in his classes remember his “Boydisms” and funny Texas sayings. As many of them know a talk, or class with Greg Boyd was always a memorable one! He could often be seen strolling around campus and the hallways, and be overheard teaching in a nearby classroom in that deep voice with his Texas drawl. His love of math was infectious, and he had a way of teaching with enthusiasm, energy and chalk flying off the board that made you love math, and inspired you to achieve more. He was a mentor to numerous students and colleagues. Greg was the kind of professor that every student needed and the kind of academic leader that his colleagues relied on. If they had a personal problem, family issues or even couldn’t buy gas for their car – Greg Boyd was there for them all the time.

Greg was a Phi Theta Kappa advisor from 1997-2014. During that time he assisted many students with achieving scholarships and credentials beyond Murray State College. Each year he also took a group of Phi Theta Kappa students on a trip to a different part of the United States to attend the annual convention. During his time as advisor the Murray State College chapter of Phi Theta Kappa won various notable awards.

Greg was a quiet, stoic, humble person and yet a very large personality at the same time. When you were around Greg you just felt like you needed to follow his lead because he had it all under control. He was always in “dad mode” making sure everyone was okay, like a coach or a sergeant leading the troops. Greg made sure he was a trusted friend first and a boss second. His mother said from a very early age he would always ask, “Can I help?” As a supervisor, Greg was kind, supportive and always wanted his department to be happy with their schedules and lives. He was always conscientious of making sure that he greeted colleagues every day, stopped for a chat and wished them well as he was leaving.

Greg always worked in advance and had things done well into the future. He was never satisfied with things being just okay. He was always saying “I’ve been thinkin”, then would make needed improvements to the department. As Division Chair he completed a lot of noteworthy, difficult and important changes and Greg was a leader in the statewide Math Pathways Initiative, which pushes for an academic system that allows the student to take math courses suited for their major. He was at the forefront of convincing people, “Yes you can understand math and we’re going to help you get through it."

Greg Boyd was indisputably an inspiration to his students, as well as his colleagues, and made a treasured impact on Murray State College. Greg had the following favorite saying that he used to close every math lecture, so in his memory “Lets Go Do Some Math”!