Physics Colloquium: “Becoming An Agent of Change in Physics”

Simone Hyater-Adams

American Physical Society

Abstract: My path through physics is non-traditional in many ways, and it serves as an example of how the physics discipline can fail Black students even when we are seen as high achieving. In this talk, I will discuss my physics journey, and how I found myself in a career that is focused on pushing the field of physics to become a more equitable space for Black folks. Because my experiences resonate with research findings from studies I have conducted, I will use excerpts from my study participants to demonstrate some common themes of experience for Black physicists. I will wrap up the talk with some ideas about how other members of the physics community can learn to become an agent of change, and what ongoing initiatives are looking to make the field more equitable and just.

All lectures are via Zoom: https://mines.zoom.us/j/98686472990?pwd=REFBbFBJZk9MbXhldGRzemNaczlTZz09

Bio: Dr. Simone Hyater-Adams is a physicist, artist, educator, and researcher with a passion for creating more opportunities for Black STEM students. After receiving her B.S. in Physics from Hampton University, she pursued graduate studies at the ATLAS Institute at the University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) where she was a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow. In her graduate research, she used her personal experiences from pursuing physics to guide her interdisciplinary research examining the connections between performance art and identity for Black Physicists. This work was awarded the Harry Lustig Award from the American Physical Society’s Four Corners Section. Currently, Simone manages the American Physical Society’s National Mentoring Community. Concurrently she continues to develop her Performing Physics program, an outreach program that incorporates physics with performance art. In addition to this work, Simone also develops and facilitates equity workshops with goals to cultivate more inclusive and equitable STEM learning and working environments.