Jami Valentine facts for kids

Jami Valentine Miller, born on December 3, 1974, is a smart scientist. She works as a patent examiner at the United States Patent and Trademark Office. This means she helps decide if new inventions can be protected by law. Dr. Miller made history as the first African American woman to earn a PhD in physics from Johns Hopkins University. She also started a website called AAWIP.com. This website celebrates the amazing achievements of African American women in physics.

Early Life and Learning

Jami Valentine Miller was born in Philadelphia. When she was in middle school, she joined a special program. This program, called PRIME, helped prepare her for a future in science or math. She went to Murrell Dobbins Vocational School for high school and finished in 1992.

College and University Studies

After high school, Jami went to Florida A&M University (FAMU). She earned her bachelor's degree in physics in 1996. She graduated with high honors, which is called cum laude. While at FAMU, she was a "Life-Gets-Better" scholar. This allowed her to work as a summer researcher at a big science lab. It was called Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. She also worked in a center that studied tiny particles in the air.

After FAMU, she continued her studies at Brown University. She earned her master's degree there in 1998. Later, she went to Johns Hopkins University. There, she studied under a professor named Chia-Ling Chien. Her research was about spintronics. This is a field that uses the "spin" of electrons to store information. She focused on special metals for memory devices. In 2006, she earned her PhD. Her main project was about measuring the spin of thin layers of rare earth metals.

Her Career and Impact

As a student, Dr. Miller noticed something important. There were not many professors who looked like her. From 1973 to 2012, only 66 Black American women earned PhDs in physics. This was a very small number compared to others. She decided to help make physics more welcoming for everyone.

Supporting Women in Physics

Dr. Miller created a non-profit group called African American Women in Physics (AAWIP). This group celebrates the important work of African American women in physics. She has worked hard to find and document as many of these women as she can. She also works with the National Society of Black Physicists. Her goal is to help more people from different backgrounds get involved in physics.

Working at the Patent Office

Dr. Miller joined the United States Patent and Trademark Office. She works there as an electrical engineer. She focuses on devices that store computer memory. In 2012, she became a primary examiner. This means she is a lead expert in her field.

Awards and Recognition

Dr. Miller has been invited to speak at many physics conferences. She has also appeared on podcasts. People want to hear about her work and experiences.

• In February 2017, the National Society of Black Physicists honored her. They recognized her great service to their organization.
• In 2016, she received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Florida A&M University.
• She was a main speaker at the 2019 Physics Congress. She spoke to over 1,500 physics and astronomy students.
• In 2022, she received the Distinguished Alumna Award from Johns Hopkins University.

Becoming a Fellow

In 2023, Dr. Miller was named a Fellow of the American Physical Society. This is a very high honor in physics. She received it for her amazing work in making physics more diverse. She was also recognized for her important contributions to the history of Black women in American physics. This includes starting African-American Women in Physics, Inc.

Advisory Roles

Also in 2023, she was asked to join the Advisory Board for the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences at Johns Hopkins University. She also serves on the Physics and Astronomy Advisory Council for Hopkins. These roles allow her to help guide the future of science education.