2024 Joseph A. Johnson Award Goes to Johns Hopkins University Assistant Professor Danielle Speller

(Press-News.org) WASHINGTON, Nov. 14, 2024 – AIP and the National Society of Black Physicists congratulate Danielle Speller as the winner of the 2024 Joseph A. Johnson Award for Excellence. Jessica Esquivel is also being recognized with an Honorable Mention.

The Johnson Award, now in its fifth year, is given jointly by AIP and NSBP to recognize early-career scientists who demonstrate scientific ingenuity and impactful mentorship and service—the core values of NSBP founder Joseph A. Johnson.

“Dr. Speller not only explores the secrets of the universe but also shares them through science outreach and mentorship,” said Michael Moloney, CEO of AIP. “Her research at Johns Hopkins University, which aims to detect new particles and particle interactions, advances the field of dark matter and subatomic particles. Congratulations to Dr. Speller on this prestigious award.”

Speller is honored for her impact in searches for dark matter and neutrinoless double beta decay, and for her efforts to mentor the next generation of aspiring underrepresented physicists. In her research, she uses ultracold detectors to search for small changes in measured power that will provide evidence of new particles and interactions. This type of detection builds upon the current understanding of subatomic particles and provides important information on how things have developed since the beginning of the universe.

“We are delighted to celebrate Dr. Speller’s exceptional work through the Joseph A. Johnson Award, which honors NSBP members that are doing exceptional work in the fields of physics research and mentorship,” said Stephen Roberson, president of the National Society of Black Physicists. “Dr. Speller is a force of positive change within NSBP and in the broader physics community, both as an accomplished physicist and impactful mentor."

“We also applaud Dr. Esquivel for her remarkable contributions to the field of particle physics, and for creating communities that uplift Black physicists.”

Get to Know the 2024 Joseph A. Johnson Award Winner and Honorable Mention

Danielle Speller, Assistant Professor in the William H. Miller III Department of Physics, Johns Hopkins University

Growing up, Speller always set her sights on the stars.

“I was interested in the ideas of far-off galaxies, subatomic particles, and the patterns that had been discovered in nature,” Speller said. “This was bolstered by my enjoyment of school, of reading, learning and sharing new things, and by lively (and entertaining) discussions with my family about popular science fiction scenarios. I wanted to understand the real physics governing the world we live in, and if possible, discover the secrets of the universe.”

Speller received her dual bachelor of physics and bachelor of applied mathematics degrees at North Carolina State University. She then went on to earn a master’s degree and Ph.D. in physics at the University of California, Berkeley. She is currently an assistant professor of physics at Johns Hopkins University, where she serves as the faculty advisor for Johns Hopkins University’s NSBP and Society of Physics Students chapters.

“Receiving this award is an honor,” Speller said. “Honors like this represent the recognition of peers and colleagues, and the value that they place upon your work and upon your efforts to make a lasting difference. I’m inspired by this, and by the legacy of the award’s eponymous scholar, Joseph A. Johnson III.”

Speller was also honored for her mentorship work. Beyond JHU’s SPS and NSBP, Speller is also a member of the American Physical Society.

“Impactful mentorship is intentionally cultivating relationships and seeking to help those whom you mentor to navigate challenging places, miss the potholes, and to give them the tools to be as successful as possible,” Speller said. “I have worked with many excellent colleagues, mentors, students, and peers over the years who enthusiastically embody servant leadership in the encouragement, training, and support of their mentees, professionally and personally.”

Jessica Esquivel, Associate Scientist at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory

Jessica Esquivel is a trailblazing physicist, movement builder, and co-founder of Oyanova Enterprises, a company fostering equity, education, and community within science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM). She was one of the first Afro-Latina women to graduate with a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering and applied physics from St. Mary’s University and is the second to earn a Ph.D. in physics from Syracuse University. Currently, Esquivel is an associate scientist at Fermilab working on the Muon g-2 Experiment, which precisely measures the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon. Esquivel is also one of the co-founders of the #BlackInPhysics social movement.

“For me, receiving an honorable mention for the Joseph A. Johnson Award affirms the importance of advancing Dr. Johnson’s legacy as I know it, which is to advance equity for Black scientists,” Esquivel said. “As the fight for equity evolves, it demands that we confront not only overt barriers but also the deeply embedded, often hidden forms of discrimination that persist unchecked. Just as Johnson courageously confronted exclusionary practices, I am committed to challenging the structural forces that have long marginalized Black voices in physics, including the insidious forces of sexism and homophobia.”

The award and honorable mentions will be presented at the 2024 National Society of Black Physicists Annual Conference on Nov. 16, in Houston, Texas.

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About the Joseph A. Johnson III Award for Excellence

Joseph A. Johnson III, of Florida A&M University, was a pioneering and renowned experimental physicist, mentor to many Black doctoral students, and a founder of the National Society of Black Physicists. In honor of his iconic legacy, the American Institute of Physics and NSBP have partnered to recognize an NSBP experimental physicist who exemplifies Johnson’s ingenuity as a scientist and passion for mentorship and service. This honor comes with a $5,000 award along with an invitation to give physics department colloquia at partner universities.

About NBSP

Founded in 1977 at Morgan State University, the mission of the National Society of Black Physicists is to promote the professional well-being of African American physicists and physics students within the international scientific community and within society at large. The organization seeks to develop and support efforts to increase opportunities for African Americans in physics and to increase their numbers and visibility of their scientific work. It also seeks to develop activities and programs that highlight and enhance the benefits of the scientific contributions that African American physicists provide for the international community. The society seeks to raise the general knowledge and appreciation of physics in the African American community.

About AIP

As a 501(c)(3) non-profit, AIP is a federation that advances the success of our Member Societies and an institute that engages in research and analysis to empower positive change in the physical sciences. The mission of AIP (American Institute of Physics) is to advance, promote, and serve the physical sciences for the benefit of humanity.

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