“It is phenomenal that one institution is graduating four
minority physics Ph.D. students at the same time,” said Maurice Edington, Dean,
FAMU College of Science and Technology. “This is a testament to the dedication
and hard work of our outstanding faculty in the FAMU physics program, and it
highlights the important role that FAMU continues to play in helping to address
statewide and national efforts to increase the numbers of highly-qualified STEM
graduates.”
Martinez, a native of Ft. Walton Beach, Fla., wasn’t a child
who had to be pushed into the sciences.
Becoming a scientist is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.
Martinez earned his bachelor’s degree in physics at FAMU and
pursued his master’s degree at the University of Central Florida. He decided to
come back to FAMU for his doctorate after talking with his former professor,
Lewis Johnson, Ph.D. about the program.
"Jorge is leaving FAMU as an extremely capable and
innovative young scientist, ready to compete with graduates from top tier
programs,” said Johnson. “I'm proud of him as a young man, and his love and
knowledge of science. I expect great things from him in the years to
come."
Martinez will continue his studies as a post-doctoral fellow
at Colorado State University, working on free electron lasers.
Gebremedhin says he’s been interested in numbers and
calculations for as long as he can remember.
“Although physics was one of my favorite subjects in high
school, I didn’t decide to actually major in it until after the first semester
here at FAMU,” said Gebremedhin, who holds a bachelor’s in mechanical
engineering from Addis Ababa University. “After a semester here, I started
learning the theory behind some of the applications I’ve been taught in
engineering school. Later when I started research, I had a chance to implement
my talent for computer programming, which is very useful in theoretical physics
these days.”
Grebremedhin will continue to work with his advisor, Charles
Weatherford, Ph.D., as a post-doctoral researcher for the next year. He
believes that a strong foundation in mathematics is the key to helping students
develop an interest in the STEM disciplines.
“Mathematics is the only subject, I think, that actually
sharpens our problem solving ability and translates to many fields in science
and beyond,” he said.
Bowman believes the real key to getting children interested
in science is to let kids be kids. He personally didn’t find his way into
physics until his freshman year at Fisk University after competing a physic
research internship.
“If kids want to play with insects, in the dirt or in water
puddles, let them,” said Bowman. “This helps build their intuition about the
physical world which may lead to them being engaged in science when they get to
middle or high school. People say physics is hard, so maybe changing the tone
when talking about science in general would help.”
According to a report by the National Science Foundation,
African Americans and Latinos each comprise 13 percent of the total workforce
and only three percent of the technical workforce. In a recent report on the
advancement of women and minorities in science, engineering and technology
(SET) disciplines, NSF noted that an increasingly large proportion of the
workforce consists of women, underrepresented minorities, and persons with
disabilities and these groups are not well represented in science, engineering,
and technology fields. “Unless the SET labor market becomes more representative
of the general U.S. workforce, the nation may likely face severe shortages in
SET workers, such as those already seen in many computer-related occupations.”
FAMU also awarded a doctorate in education, a doctorate in
pharmacy, a doctor of physical therapy, a doctor of public health and a doctor
of pharmacy during the summer commencement ceremony.