Calvin Howell facts for kids

Calvin Rudolph Howell, born on December 7, 1955, is an American physicist. He is also a professor at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.

Growing Up and School

Calvin Howell was born in Warrenton, North Carolina, in 1955. He grew up in Palmer Springs, Virginia, with his five siblings. His mother was Virginia Talley, and his father, William Howell, worked with cement. Calvin went to Roanoke Elementary School. Later, he attended Park View High School in South Hill, Virginia.

College and Advanced Studies

After high school, Howell received a scholarship to attend Davidson College in North Carolina. During his third year, he studied at Howard University in Washington D.C. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in physics in 1978.

After Davidson, Howell went to Duke University for graduate school. He studied experimental nuclear physics. He worked in the lab of Richard Lawrence Walter. His main project was about how neutrons scatter from silicon and sulfur. This work helped him earn his PhD.

After getting his PhD, Howell stayed at Duke for another year. He worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory (TUNL). He also taught classes at Duke University during this time.

What a Physicist Does

After his postdoctoral work, Howell became an assistant professor of physics at Duke University. During this time, he also worked as a visiting scientist. He visited Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Stanford Linear Accelerator. There, he studied the tiny parts that make up atomic nuclei.

In 1992, Howell became an associate professor at Duke. He continued his research at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. By 2001, he became a full professor at Duke. He also became the deputy director of TUNL. From 2006 to 2016, he was the director of TUNL. He also led the Duke free electron laser (FEL) from 2008 to 2011.

In 2006, Howell was named a Fellow of the American Physical Society. This honor recognized his work in measuring how tiny particles interact. It also recognized his efforts to help students, especially those from historically black colleges and universities.

Studying the Strong Force

Dr. Howell's research focuses on understanding quantum chromodynamics (QCD). This is a theory that describes how tiny particles called nucleons behave. Nucleons are the building blocks of atomic nuclei. He tests ideas about how these particles interact at low energies. This helps us learn more about the strong force, which holds atomic nuclei together.

His work covers different areas, including nuclear physics. It also includes nuclear security and making medical isotopes. Much of his research happens at the high intensity gamma-ray source at TUNL.

Helping Others in Science

Dr. Howell has received awards for his service to the physics community. In 1998, he directed the Nuclear Physics Program for the National Science Foundation. He has also held many roles within the American Physical Society. This includes serving on committees for the Southeastern Section and the Division of Nuclear Physics.

Throughout his career, Howell has worked to create opportunities for students from minority groups. He has been an adjunct professor at North Carolina Central University. This is a historically black institution. He has also helped with programs like the Carolina Ohio Science Education Network. He was a faculty coordinator for the Mellon Minority Undergraduate Program at Duke. He also helped with the Minority Medical Education Program at the Duke University Medical Center. He even chaired the American Physical Society's Committee on Minorities in Physics.