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The Franklin Institute, seeking to spread the word of their works, sponsors a panel of four prominent achievers.
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Panelists Sharon Haynie of DuPont Co. and Chad Jenkins of Brown University.
Panelists Edward Tunstel, left, and James West, both of Johns Hopkins.
At the Franklin Institute, from left in left photo, Karen Richards, her daughter Alexa, son Adam, and cousin Christian Richards look at an interactive blood exhibit. At right, Phillip Moore and his son Daquan race each other to “pump” blood at an interactive exhibit. The African American Charles Drew invented a system to store blood plasma and established the American Red Cross blood bank. By Monica Peters
selected as ScienceMakers, the HistoryMakers’ media and educahe significant scientific tion initiative related to African and technological contriAmericans in science, technology, butions of African Ameriengineering, and math. cans will be highlighted James West, a professor at during a special program Johns Hopkins University, was inFriday at the Franklin Institute. ducted into the National InvenFour prominent African Ameritors Hall of Fame in 1999. can scientists, Sharon Haynie, “There are about 18 black inChad Jenkins, Edward Tunstel, ductees in the National Inventors and James West, will be featured Hall of Fame. I happen to be inin “The Color of Science,” a panel ducted [along with Gerhard M. discussion that already is reaching Sessler] for the electret microoverflow capacity, organizers say. phone used in everything that The program “grew out of the needs a microphone ranging clear lack of literacy and knowlfrom the cell phones to profesedge that persons of African desional equipment, including scent (and other traditionally unspace travel,” says West, who derrepresented groups) have conalso received the Franklin Institributed to important scientific tute’s 2010 Benjamin Franklin and technological innovations im- Karen and Adam Richards study an interactive video exhibit. Medal in Electrical Engineering. pacting societies around the If you have used a cell phone, throughout North America, the Caribbean, world,” says Frederic Bertley, the institute’s you likely have used West’s invention. At and Africa, Bertley realized it was time to vice president of science and innovation. the museum, visitors can use their cell start the series at the institute to increase phones to transmit signals that will illumi“This was further underscored by a rethe presence of science in everyday lives, nate LED artwork on a cell phone wall in cent trip to Senegal … where discoveries in especially for young people. In 2007, the the electricity exhibit. science and technology were showcased Franklin Institute created a series of from ancient African societies to modernThe institute has several exhibits that events called “Out of Africa,” designed to day science,” says Bertley of a recent concapture the work of black scientists, comcreate a dialogue about race. ference he attended, the Third World Festiplementing the new Black History Month This weekend’s event is presented in partval of Black Arts and Culture. exhibit “The Color of Science,” Bertley nership with the HistoryMakers, a nonprofit said. In the electricity exhibition, visitors Bertley wants the museum’s mission of organization based in Chicago that creates a education and enlightenment, through the explore a multimedia “electricity scrapvideo history of accomplished African Amerbook” and learn about lightbulbs. Some of Color of Science series, to extend beyond icans told in first-person narratives. The sciBlack History Month as part of youth outthe display stems from the creativity of reach throughout the year. After traveling entists featured on Friday’s panel have been Lewis Latimer, the only African American
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Derrick Pitts (left) and Frederic Bertley of the institute use their cell phones to light a wall of LEDs. James West, who is black, invented a microphone making cell phones possible. member of Thomas Edison’s engineering division of the Edison Co. And in The Giant Heart exhibit, visitors can learn about blood and the importance of the work of Dr. Charles Drew, a black scientist who found a way to preserve and store it. In the John Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, panelist Edward Tunstel loves to share information about his career to spark students’ interest. There
are very few African Americans in his field as well. “The percentage is low, in part, due to lack of exposure. I try to impart knowledge about which science, technology, engineering, and math professions are responsible for creating things around them such as cars, microwave ovens, video games, personal electronic devices, and theme park rides,” says Tunstel, who helped design
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What black scientists have wrought
and build both of the Mars exploration rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, while previously at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Tunstel also offers young students a science fact of special interest in this region. He notes that in 1876, Edward Bouchet was the sixth American to earn a doctorate in physics and the first African American to earn such a degree from an American uni-
versity, Yale. Bouchet taught at the Institute for Colored Youth, later renamed Cheyney University. Fellow panelist Chad Jenkins, a computer scientist and associate professor at Brown University, points out that many students are not aware of the high demand for scientists. “Students in computer science and robotics are highly sought-after for jobs,” says Jen-
kins, who was awarded the prestigious Sloan Research Fellowship for his work in human-robot interaction and robot learning. In 2007, Jenkins met President George W. Bush at the White House as one of the recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers for his research on the development of methods for autonomous robot control and perception. Panelist Sharon Haynie, a research scientist at the DuPont Co., credits her support system for motivating her to pursue chemistry. “I grew up in a period where there were few people of color and women visible to me and I was encouraged by family, friends and educators,” says the chemist, who has been at DuPont since 1984. Haynie cites Marie Maynard Daly, the first African American woman in the United States to earn a Ph.D. in chemistry, from Columbia University in 1947, as someone she admires. “The Color of Science,” moderated by the institute’s chief astronomer, Derrick Pitts, will begin with one-on-one interviews with the scientists. The audience will have the opportunity to ask questions. The event is also presented by the Partnerships for Achieving Careers in Technology and Science and is supported by the National Science Foundation. “The Color of Science,” 5:30 p.m. in the Franklin Theater, Franklin Institute, 222 N. 20th St. Doors open at 5 p.m. for this free event. The theater is filled but seating is available on a first-come, first-seated basis in an overflow room with a live simulcast. Information: 215-448-1200 or www.fi.edu. Contact Monica Peters at mpeters@phillynews.com.
Friday, February 11, 2011