Jackson State University was Founded as Natchez Seminary in 1877. In November 1882, the school was moved to Jackson. In March 1899, the curriculum was expanded, and the name was changed to Jackson College. It is one of the largest HBCUs. The Department offers a Bachelor of Science Degree in Physics, Meteorology, Earth System Science, and several concentrations in Physics. Dr. Mehri Fadavi serves as the department chair. She leads JSU’s physics education research and has created several programs to provide resources and aid for science in the Jackson public school district. Our department faculty members and students are active in several exciting fields of research in Nanotechnology, Theoretical condensed matter physics, Materials Science, Optics and Photonics, Meteorological Observations, Modeling and Forecast, Computational Sciences, Renewable Energy, and Science Education.

Researchers

Dr. Qilin Dai earned his B.S. degree in physics at Harbin Normal University in 2004. He got his Ph.D. degree in Condensed Matter Physics at Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2009, then served as a postdoctoral research associate at Florida State University and University of Wyoming. Dr. Dai has a research group that includes undergraduate and post-doctoral students that focus on energy conversion, energy saving, and energy storage with an emphasis on photovoltaics, light-emitting diodes, photodetectors, and lithium-ion batteries.

Nihar Pradhan earned his MA degree in physics and Ph.D. in condensed matter physics at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. He also did his postdoc at The National High Magnetic Field Laboratory. Dr. Pradhan’s research interests are highly interdisciplinary. They consist of the synthesis of single crystals layered materials, nanostructure fabrication, and physics of materials and devices with nanoscale features. He is interested in studying the electrical, optical, and magnetic properties of two-dimensional layered semiconductors such as transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs).

Notable Professor

Quinton Williams is a professor and chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Howard University. His research group is currently investigating nanomaterials and lithium iron phosphate batteries. Dr. Williams is a past president of the National Society of Black Physicists and formerly an elected member of the governing board of the American Institute of Physics.

Notable alumni

Gregory Eskridge - Technical Project Manager at KLA
Jiman Nelson - Dentistry Researcher
Dr. Derrick D. Stokes - Technical Program Manager at General Atomics
Gregory E Williams - Science and Technology Division Performance Excellence Champion at Corning Incorporated

Current Full-time Faculty

01. Dr. John Howard, Assistant Professor
Ph.D., Georgia Institute of Technology

Research Interests
Condensed Matter Physics
Physics Education

02. Dr. Dwayne Joseph, Assistant Professor
Ph.D., Florida A&M University

Research Interests
Low Energy Atomic Collisions
Ion-Atomic Current Transfer Interactions

03. Dr. Emmanuel Karikari, Assistant Professor
Coordinator for the Dual Degree Engineering Program
Ph.D., University of Virginia

Research Interests
Structural Properties of Materials
Engineering Education


04. Dr. Eddie C. Red, Associate Professor
Interim Dean: Division of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)
Ph.D., Florida A&M University

Research Interests
Physics Education
Materials Science Physics with Electrochemical Applications
Nuclear Science and Environmental Radiation Studies
Electron/Photon Interactions with Atoms and Molecules
Development and Incorporation of Numerical Techniques into High Performance Algorithms

05. Dr. Wesley D. Sims, Assistant Professor
Interim Department Chair
Ph.D., Alabama A&M University 

Research Interests
Applied Optics (Nanolithography/Nanomaterials)

Past/Retired Faculty

01. Dr. Aakhut E. Bak, Associate Professor
Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Research Interests
Particle Physics and Optics

02. Dr. Carlyle E. Moore, Associate Professor
Ph.D., Georgia Institute of Technology

Research Interests
Nuclear and Particle Physics

03. Dr. Oyekale (‘Kale) Oyedeji, Associate Professor
Ph.D., Howard University

Research Interests:
Solid State and Dynamical Systems - Nonlinear

04. Dr. Willie S. Rockward, Full Professor
Ph.D., Georgia Institute of Technology

Research Interests
Micro/Nano Optics and Lasers
Nanolithography
Meta-materials

05. Dr. Augustine J. Smith, Associate Professor
Ph.D., Oregon State University

Research Interests
Atomic Physics

Notable Alums:

Mr. Dorian Bohler
Highest Degree: M.S., Wayne State University (2011)
Ph.D. Field: Physics
Current Employment: Staff Scientist at Stanford Linear Accelerator (SLAC)

Dr. Joshua Burrow
Highest Degree: Ph.D., University of Dayton (2021)
Ph.D. Field: Electro-Optics
Current Employment: Hibbitt Postdoctoral Fellow at Brown University

Mr. Robert Dillard
Highest Degree: J.D. Law, Georgetown Law University Center (2003)
Current Employment: Counsel Dillard Legal Consultants, LLC

Dr. Franklin DuBose
Highest Degree: Ph.D., North Carolina State University (2009)
Ph.D. Field: Physics
Current Employment: Owner, BDM Consulting Group and Adjunct Professor of Physics

Dr. David Hill
Highest Degree: Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2018)
Ph.D. Field: Media Arts and Sciences
Current Employment: Performance Scientist/Engineer & Software Developer for Los Angeles Dodgers

Dr. Keith Jackson
Highest Degree: Ph.D., Stanford University (1982)
Ph.D. Field: Physics
Current Employment: Retired, Physics Professor, Past NSBP President

Dr. Dwayne Joseph
Highest Degree: Ph.D., Florida A&M University (2012)
Ph.D. Field: Theoretical Physics
Current Employment: Assistant Professor at Morehouse College

Dr. Christie Kofi
Highest Degree: Ph.D., Vanderbilt University (2020)
Ph.D. Field: Environmental Engineering
Current Employment: Postdoc at Princeton University

Dr. Chan Kyaw
Highest Degree: Ph.D., Howard University (2021)
Ph.D. Field: Physics
Current Employment: Research Engineer at TDK

Dr. Calvin Mackey
Highest Degree: Ph.D., Georgia Institute of Technology (1996)
Ph.D. Field: Mechanical Engineering
Current Employment: Mentor, Motivational Speaker, and Entrepreneur

Dr. Walter E. Massey
Highest Degree: Ph.D., Washington University in St. Louis (1966) 
Ph.D. Field: Theoretical Physics
Current Employment: Chancellor of SIAC, Board of Trustees of the City Colleges of Chicago

Dr. Lionel Pitman
Highest Degree: Ph.D., University of Notre Dame (2014)
Ph.D. Field: Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Current Employment: Researcher at Air Force Research Lab

Dr. Eddie Red
Highest Degree: Ph.D., Florida A&M University (2006)
Ph.D. Field: AMO Physics
Current Employment: Interim Dean of the Division of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics at Morehouse College

Dr. Thomas Searles
Highest Degree: Ph.D., Rice University (2011)
Ph.D. Field: Applied Physics
Current Employment: Associate Professor at University of Illinois Chicago

Dr. Michael Street
Highest Degree: Ph.D., Georgia Institute of Technology (2016)
Ph.D. Field: Architectural and Building Sciences/Technology
Current Employment: Full Stack Software Engineer at theCut

Dr. Wesley Sims
Highest Degree: Ph.D., Alabama A&M University (2016)
Ph.D. Field: Applied Physics
Current Employment: Interim Department Chair, Physics and Dual-Degree Engineering Program at Morehouse College

Dr. Omar Wooten
Highest Degree: Ph.D., Georgia Institute of Technology (2005)
Ph.D. Field: Health Physics
Current Employment: Staff Scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory

The Physics Program at Spelman College was first established in 1991 and became a Department in 2001.  The Department now includes five full-time faculty, a full-time laboratory coordinator, and our IBM Quantum Center Scholar in Residence.   It is located in the Spelman College Albro-Falconer-Manley Science Center, which houses all Spelman’s science and mathematics departments. 

The primary goal of the Physics Department is to lay a strong foundation in the knowledge, practice, and applications of physics so that students will be motivated for further studies and competent scientifically in all their endeavors.  The curriculum strongly supports majors in other STEM fields such as biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, and engineering in the Dual Degree Program. 

The department offers a full range of courses, from Physics and the Arts for the core curriculum, and a full Physics major including upper-level electives such as Laser, Optics & Spectroscopy, Computational Physics, and Biophysics.  Throughout its history, the department has shown commitment to teaching, improvement of student learning, and nurturing publishable quality undergraduate research.  Despite its small size, Spelman Physics is typically ranked among the top Physics departments when it comes to producing Black women with Bachelor’s degrees in Physics. 

Brief History

Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University was founded as the State Normal College for Colored Students on October 3, 1887 in Tallahassee, Florida. Today, FAMU, as it has become affectionately known, is the premiere school among historically black colleges and universities.

FAMU has remained the highest-ranked public Historically Black College or University (HBCU) for the 4th consecutive year among the U.S. News & World Report Top Public National Universities (2023).The FAMU Department of Physics offers an undergraduate Bachelor of Science (B.S) degree, a graduate Master of Science (M.S.) degree, and graduate Ph.D. degree in Physics.

The Ph.D. Program started in the Fall of 2001 and is one of six HBCUs that offer a Ph.D. in Physics.

The Department has several research facilities and continues to be active and productive in research, with over $2,000,00 in active research dollars. In 2005, the Florida A&M Department of Physics established its presence at Innovation Park, a university-related research and development campus in Tallahassee, investing in the Center for Plasma Science and Technology (CePAST). The scope of CePAST being the study of plasmas, which is the ‘fourth state of matter’. The center has since become one of the premier research facilities in the state of Florida.

Notable Professors

Joseph A. Johnson III, Ph.D. (1940 – 2017)

Johnson held a faculty appointment at Florida A&M University, where he was given the honor of Distinguished Professor of Science and Engineering, Affiliate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, and Director of the Center for Plasma Science and Technology until he retired in 2010. He led the establishment of FAMU’s doctoral program in physics, which started in 2001, and advised approximately 15 PhD students.As a researcher, he investigated a wide variety of fundamental fluid and plasma phenomena, developing new diagnostic tools for high-speed flow, new insights in fundamental turbulent systems, and new approaches for hastening the evolution toward alternative sources of energy from high-temperature turbulent plasmas.Throughout his career, both as an educator and an administrator, Johnson worked to promote the development of minority scientists. His many honors include election as a charter fellow of the National Society of Black Physicists, which cited his contributions to scientific research and to physics education, as well as “contributions of the most noteworthy sort to the general goals of NSBP.” He served as president of the National Society of Black Physicists (NSBP) between 1988 and 1990

Herbert Jones, Ph.D. (1927 -2002)

Jones served in the Navy during World War II. He received a bachelor's degree in chemistry in 1949 from the University of Illinois; a master's degree in physics in 1950; and a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor in 1959.One of his greatest accomplishments was receiving the National Millennium Award for excellence in teaching and research by the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges. He was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma Xi Honorary Societies and Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. He was also a member of the NAACP and The Urban League of Tallahassee.He was a professor of physics at FAMU for 43 years. Throughout his career, he made an impact on the lives of young scientists. He co-authored two books and more than 50 articles in leading physics and scientific journals. He obtained millions of dollars in grants for the school in the areas of physics and natural sciences.

Lewis Johnson, Ph.D.

Johnson is the Associate Provost for Student Success and Strategic Initiatives and a Professor of Physics at FAMU. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC, with a bachelor’s degree in Physics. He earned his Ph.D. in Physics from Duke University in Durham, NC, working in the Free Electron Laser Laboratory under the late John M. J. Madey. Before starting his academic career at FAMU, Johnson was a staff scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) in Berkeley, CA. As a professor, he has co-authored over 40 scientific papers and conference proceedings, graduated several Ph.D. and masters’ students, and raised and managed over $20 Million in research funding. Before his current position, he held the administrative appointments of Assistant Dean of the College of Science and Technology and Assistant Vice President for Strategic Planning. As the Associate Provost for Student Success and Strategic Initiatives, he is responsible for developing and executing a student success framework to aggressively improve FAMU’s student success metrics such as a 4-Year Graduation Rate, Academic Progress Rate, Employment outcomes, and many others. He continues his work in research as the Principal Investigator for the Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration Consortium for Laser-based Analysis of Nuclear and Environmental Materials (LANEM).

Charles A. Weatherford, Ph.D.

Weatherford is Louisiana State University graduate who is credited with securing millions of research dollars, has done a sabbatical at the Goddard Space Flight Center, completed summers at IBM- Almaden Research Center in San Jose, Calif., NASA-Goddard, NASA-Ames, and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence-Livermore and Argonne National Laboratories.Weatherford, a computational physicist working in atomic, molecular, plasma, and HED physics, and Quantum Chemistry, has taught at FAMU since 1978. During his tenure Weatherford has also served as chairman of the Physics Department, Interim Title III Executive Director, Interim Vice President for Research, and is currently the FAMU Vice President for Research.He continues his work in research as the Principal Investigator for the Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration Consortium for High Energy Density Science (CfHEDs).

Prominent Alumni

• Eddie Red, Ph.D. (Ph.D. in Physics FAMU 2006) – Interim Dean of the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Division at Morehouse College.
• Stephen D. Roberson, Ph.D. (Ph.D. in Physics FAMU 2006) – NSBP President Elect 2022
• Mareena Robinson Snowden, Ph.D. (BS in Physics FAMU 2011) – First Black Woman to earn Ph.D. in Nuclear Physics from MIT, 2018.
• James Titus, Ph.D. (Ph.D. in Physics FAMU 2012) – Lead Scientist for TAE Technologies
• Jami Valentine Miller, Ph.D. (BS in Physics FAMU 1996) – First Black Woman to earn Ph.D. in Physics from John Hopkins University, 2006; also making her the first Female FAMU alumna to earn a Ph.D. in Physics.
• Kalisa Villafana, Ph.D. (BS in Physics FAMU 2011) – First Black Woman in Florida State University History to Earn a Ph.D. in Nuclear Physics, 2019.
• Delonia Wiggins, Ph.D. – First FAMU female Ph.D. graduate, 2010.
• Kyron Williams, Ph.D. – First FAMU Physics Ph.D. graduate, 2004.