Tilted: "The pioneering life of Edward Alexander Bouchet"

 NSBP would like to Congratulate Prof. Ron Mickens on the publication of their latest article.

Prof. Thomas Searles !!!

Congratulations:

"Morehouse College's distinguished group of alumni - 50 Under 50" 

Dr Walter Massey !!!

Congratulations:

On a lifelong commitment to scientific discovery, education, and public service.

Prof. Peter Delfyett !!!

Congratulations:

The 2026 SPIE Harold E. Edgerton Award in High-Speed Optics

Serena Eley, Ph.D.

For pioneering work in "Quantum Entanglement of Skyrmion-Antiskyrmion Pairs "

Congratulations

One of 7 Teams to Win Funding in 1st Year of Scialog: Quantum Matter and Information

Dean of the College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

at

Alabama State University

Vice President for Research and Chief Research Officer at Howard University

We are excited to celebrate the appointment of Kim M. Lewis, Ph.D., as vice president for research and chief research officer at Howard University, effectiveJan. 2, 2026. 

On July 16, 2025, members from APS, AAPT, and NSBP went up to Capitol Hill to speak with the office staff of senators and House representatives for the APS Venture Fund Hill Day. This Capitol Hill visit was sponsored by APS working in conjunction with Lot16, a local bipartisan lobbying firm. Click here to view the Lot16 handout given to the representatives heading to the Hill containing information on these congressional representatives and their stances on recent legislation. Click here to see the one page document given to each of the offices visited on that day from our organizations.

The purpose of these visits was to push back on anti-DEI legislation and support STEM workforce development. Our message was clear: Congress should support robust and sustained appropriations for the federal science agencies that train our future STEM workforce. Federal investment in STEM workforce development is essential to securing America’s long-term leadership in science, technology, space, manufacturing, and beyond. The country is not leveraging the full talent of the nation, and we must look to every corner of the country to find the talent needed for continued scientific success. Anti-DEI language in legislation is having a chilling effect on proven, historically successful programs that are designed to generate more talent for the domestic scientific workforce.

Everyone met that morning at the DC office of APS for a brief "Advocacy 101" session, which will include an explanation of the one-pager. After that session, the representatives of the three organizations and Lot16 split into two groups to allow for maximum coverage on Capitol Hill.

Group 1 Participants:

• Dr. Gabe Spalding, AAPT
• Dr. Eric Brewe, APS
• Dr. Thomas Searles, NSBP
• Dr. Mark Elsesser, APS
• Ellie Clancy, Lot Sixteen

Congressional Offices visited by Group 1:

• Office of Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD)
• Office of Senator John Hoeven (R-ND)
• Office of Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY)
• Office of Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS)
• Office of Representative Marcy Kaptur (D-OH-09)
• Office of Representative Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14)

Group 2 Participants:

• Dr. Mario Borunda, APS
• Dr. Stephen Roberson, NSBP
• Dr. Beth Cunningham, AAPT
• Dr. Julie Davis, APS
• Chelsea Baltes, Lot Sixteen

Congressional Offices visited by Group 2:

• Office of Representative Glenn Ivey (D-MD-04)
• Office of Representative Tom Cole (R-OK-04)
• Office of Representative Sanford Bishop Jr. (D-GA-02)
• Office of Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ-12)
• Office of Senator John Boozman (R-AR)
• Office of Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK)

After the visit on Capitol Hill, the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies approps report that just came out shortly after our visit contains very favorable language: 

Broadening Participation.—The Committee recognizes that the future of U.S. economic competitiveness and our Nation’s ability to address national, economic, and health security threats depends on sustaining a robust STEM workforce. As the demographics of our Nation evolve, ensuring individuals from underrepresented communities across the country can enter and sustain a career as part of the STEM workforce is essential to securing the workforce going forward. The Committee is deeply concerned that entrenched financial barriers are increasingly deterring students, particularly those from underrepresented communities, from pursuing STEM careers. The Committee encourages NSF to evaluate the adequacy of compensation for trainees and early career researchers supported through fellowships, training grants, and research awards. NSF is also encouraged to continue supporting the recruitment, retention, and advancement of underrepresented faculty at U.S. institutions of higher education through relevant existing programs. The Committee continues to support the Broadening Participation in STEM programs.

We will be continuing to engage with policymakers on the importance of science funding, workforce programs, and the damaging potential of anti-DEI provisions. NSBP would like to thank APS for the opportunity to visit congressional offices on Capitol Hill. We will continue to advocate for policies that positively benefit our members and the country. Stay tuned for more opportunities to support NSBP advocacy efforts. 

Click the button below to view more pictures from the visit to Capitol Hill.

2025 Capitol Hill Visit

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Professor Milton Ferguson, a valued member of  the Norfolk State University Physics Department.

Prof. Ferguson was not only a dedicated professor and mentor but also a friend to many within our community. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends, and physics community.

Speaker: Morgan Cole

Date/Time: March 31st, 2025 4pm EST

Zoom Link: https://ucsb.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_RngrydzORl2orkZyMdQG8g

Title: "Advancing Radio Telescope Calibration with Drones"

Abstract: The driving force of cosmic expansion, dark energy, remains a fundamental mystery in our understanding of the physics of our universe. A critical step in unveiling the properties of dark energy will come from experimental evidence. In this talk, I will discuss how radio telescopes are being used to reveal the properties of dark energy via hydrogen intensity mapping. I will also elaborate on the importance of precise instrument calibration for these kinds of measurements, and how a new piece of technology has gained popularity in the field of telescope calibration — drones. I also hope to provide a comprehensive overview of the various aspects of my drone-based radio telescope calibration projects during the last several months, and over the next several years.

Professional Biography:  " Morgan is a second-year PhD student in Physics at Yale University, focusing on experimental astrophysics and instrumentation. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Physics from UC Berkeley in 2023, with minors in Astrophysics and STEM Education. Morgan has interned at the Simons Foundation's Center for Computational Astrophysics, CERN, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. She has been a member of the NSBP since 2020 and previously served on the NSBP Student Council." 

On the latest episode of @TheBalancingActLocalEdition Washington D.C., we shared how we’re expanding access to STEM and ensuring the future of physics is more inclusive. Catch the full feature now on The Balancing Act website and discover how we’re celebrating the amazing contributions of Black physicists, scientists, and engineers this Black History Month: https://bit.ly/43cD4ou

Video clip: National Society of Black Physicists - Digital Short.mp4

The 2025 Black Engineer of the Year

for Educational Leadership

Feature: Elizabeth Obiageri Udeh

Title: Using Time - And Frequency - Resolved Photoluminescence To Probe Exciton Dynamics In Organic Photovoltaic Materials

"Towards calculations of Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay from Lattice QCD"

January 30, 2024 at 2pm EST

Title: Towards calculations of Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay from Lattice QCD

Abstract: 

In this work, I will present the recent advancements in the application of lattice Quantum Chromodynamics (LQCD) towards  neutrino-less double-beta decay (0νββ) matrix element calculations and their place in the theoretical roadmap toward matching theory to experimental determinations of nuclear systems. Specifically, I will discuss the difficulties and recent advances in calculations of the two-nucleon systems from LQCD and the theoretical developments to clarify the path from lattice-QCD output to physical matrix elements in interactions of nuclei with electroweak probes. These developments highlight the critical role of LQCD in advancing our understanding of neutrino physics and informing the next generation of new physics searches. 

Brief Summary:

Joseph Moscoso is a PhD Candidate at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill in Professor Amy Nicholson’s Lattice QCD group.  He did his undergraduate studies at Florida International University and is a McNair Scholar. He was awarded the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program and is currently at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory with the Department of Energy, Office of Science Graduate Student Research Program. 

passed on December 30, 2024

Dr. Smith served as Professor of Physics at South Carolina State University, Orangeburg, SC. Affectionately known as "Dr. Dan," he was a "Renaissance" man, scholarly, deeply connected, impactful, and proficient in a wide range of fields such as photography, art, and African American Life and History. His published work includes a book, "African-Americans and Charleston: Histories Intertwined."  Dr. Smith retired from South Carolina State University in 2018 after serving the institution for over twenty years.

NSBP would like to honor the life of Dr. Daniel M. Smith Jr.

Black History Month 2025 Planning Meeting

Mon Jan 6, 2025 8pm - 9pm (EST)

Dr. Thomas A. Searles currently serves as an Associate Professor in the Electrical & Computer Engineering at the University of Illinois Chicago, hired under the University of Illinois System Distinguished Faculty Recruitment Program.  During the year (20-21), he was a Martin Luther King Visiting Professor at MIT and served as the Director of the IBM-HBCU Quantum Center.  Thomas received his Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Rice University in 2011, where his thesis work primarily focused on the magneto-optical properties of carbon nanotubes.

Dr. Searles will spend 2025 as the president-elect and will assume the office of president of NSBP in January 2026. NSBP is excited about his presidency.

NSBP would like to Recognize Professor Paul Gueye.

Professor Gueye,a past president of NSBP, has become the first African American physicist to receive tenure at the department of Physics and Astronomy at Michigan State University.

Earning tenure is a remarkable milestone that reflects not only Professor Gueye’s scholarly accomplishments but also his commitment to excellence in teaching, research, and service.

Congratulations on this outstanding achievement.

https://youtu.be/s5dkQW4euy0

The Rouse Memorial Fellowship is awarded annually to provide summer research support for an undergraduate student, preferably an underrepresented minority, participating in the LIGO SURF program. The Fellowship was established by the family of Caltech alumnus Dr. Carl A. Rouse, PhD '56, who was the first African American to earn his doctorate in Physics at the Institute.

The 2024 Carl Albert Rouse Fellows are listed below.

Sterling Scarlett is a rising junior in physics and astronomy at Boston University. He is working with Caltech professor Alan Weinstein and Caltech graduate student Jacob Golomb, on “The Current and Future Capability of Parameter Estimation Methods of Compact Binary Coalescence events through measured Gravitational Waves via LIGO, VIRGO, and Cosmic Explorer”.

Isiah Tyler is a rising junior in physics and mathematics at Loyola Marymount University. He is working with Caltech postdoctoral scholar Lucy Tomas and Caltech grad student Taylor Knapp, on “Investigating Inspiral Gravitational Waveform Models with Eccentricity and Precession”.

 Emmanuel Makelele, from the Democratic Rep. of Congo, is a rising senior in Physics at Kenyon College. He is working with Caltech staff scientists Rick Savage and Dripta Bhattacharjee at LIGO Hanford Observatory, on “Evaluating the performance of the LIGO photon calibrator”.

Title:  Effects of linker length in Biomolecular Condensates

Abstract:

Biomolecular condensates are membraneless organelles formed through phase separation of macromolecules.  These molecules typically consist of  "sticker" regions that bind to one another connected by flexible "linker" regions. Linkers are believed to play multiple roles in condensates including filling space and adding interactions. I am currently addressing an understudied question, namely how linker length relative to other intrinsic molecular lengths affects phase separation. I’m focusing on the pyrenoid, a condensate that enhances the efficiency of photosynthesis in many green algae. The best-studied pyrenoid, that of  Chlamydomonasreinhardtii, has two key components: the carbon-fixing enzyme Rubisco and EPYC1, an intrinsically disordered linker protein. To understand how EPYC1 linker length relative to Rubisco binding-site spacing affects condensation, I’ve employed both coarse-grained simulations and analytical theory. Strikingly, halving the EPYC1 linker lengths while keeping the number of stickers constant reduces critical concentrations by ten-fold. I explained this observation by introducing the concept of “molecular fit”, i.e. the number of sticker bonds naturally formed between a pair of EPYC1 and Rubisco molecules. I’ve further explored this concept by varying the Rubisco binding-site locations. I found that the native binding-site locations yield the worst molecular fit, but are therefore optimal for phase separation. In addition, shorter linkers undergo a phase transition from a condensate to a gas of rods as Rubisco-binding sites are moved closer to the poles. These findings illustrate how intrinsically disordered proteins impact phase separation through the interplay of molecular length scales, and underscore the evolutionary pressures to optimize these lengths.

Biography:

Trevor GrandPre is an alumnus of DePaul University and UC Berkeley where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Physics in 2014 and his PhD in 2021. Since 2021, he has been an independent postdoctoral fellow at the Center for the Physics of Biological Function (CPBF), and at the Princeton Center for Theoretical Science (PCTS), as well as a Schmidt Science Fellow.

Innovate Seminar Series

Please join us on Tuesday, August 29, 2023 at 4pm EDT for our next Innovate Seminar Series.

The speaker is Farrah Simpson.

Title of Talk: Search for the Vector-Like Quark, X_5/3  at the Large Hadron Collider.

Please RSVP at tinyurl.com/nsbp-cms.

About the Speaker:

Farrah Simpson is a rising sixth year physics PhD candidate at Brown University. She conducts research in high energy experimental physics with the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) Collaboration at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Her research focuses on Beyond Standard Model physics searches for Vector-Like Quarks. She also performs methods of sensor quality control for the detector upgrades for the High Luminosity LHC. Farrah hails from the island of Jamaica and completed her undergraduate degree in Applied Physics at Columbia University. She is passionate about teaching, mentoring and advocating for historically underrepresented groups in STEM. She serves as a DEI committee member for CMS and the immediate Past Student Representative on the Executive Board of the National Society of Black Physicists. She spent the past year at Fermilab as an LHC Physics Center Graduate Scholar.

Abstract 

The discovery of the Higgs boson by both the CMS and ATLAS experiments marked a historic moment for the Large Hadron Collider because it confirmed the predictions of the Standard Model of particle physics. Since then, large efforts have been made to understand the properties of the Higgs boson. However, there are still many unanswered questions in the current theoretical framework of the Standard Model, such as the hierarchy problem. Several Beyond Standard Model theories that attempt to address these questions predict the existence of vector-like quarks. In this talk, I will present the search for a vector-like quark, the X_5/3. It is a strongly interacting fermionic partner of the top quark with an exotic charge +5/3. The search is conducted using CMS Run 2 datasets for events with the pair production of an X_5/3 and its antiparticle which subsequently decay to a top quark and a W boson. The search is also conducted for a new decay chain where the X_5/3 is allowed to decay to Beyond Standard Model particles. To enhance signal-to-background separation, the search is constructed for events with only one lepton in the final state to achieve unprecedented sensitivities.

Learn more by clicking here.

Click here to learn more.