Mary James (scientist) facts for kids

Mary B. James is an American scientist and teacher. She is a physics professor at Reed College and also helps make the college a more welcoming place for everyone. Mary James is an expert in tiny particles and machines called particle accelerators.

Becoming a Scientist

Mary James's father was one of the famous Tuskegee Airmen, a group of African American military pilots. She studied physics at Hampshire College, earning her first degree in 1976. Later, she earned her PhD in accelerator physics from Stanford University in 1986.

After her studies, she worked at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. Here, she helped design parts for a machine called a linear collider. This machine is used to speed up tiny particles. She also worked on a special electron injector called PEGGY.

Teaching and Helping Others

In 1987, Mary James started teaching electrical engineering at the University of Maryland, College Park. Soon after, in 1988, she moved to Reed College in Oregon. She has been a physics professor there ever since. At Reed, she teaches many different physics topics.

Mary James cares a lot about helping women and minority students. She wants them to succeed in science. In 2013, she became the Dean for Institutional Diversity at Reed College. This means she works to make the college a more fair and diverse place.

She is part of a group called the Liberal Arts Diversity Officers consortium. This group helps teachers deal with unfair situations. It also works to create better systems so everyone can do well. She has also helped lead the American Physical Society committee that supports minorities in physics.

Creating a Welcoming Environment

Mary James started Reed College's Center for Teaching and Learning. This center helps attract and keep women, first-generation students, and students of color in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) subjects. She knows that some minority students might feel alone on campus. She also understands that professors of color often spend a lot of time helping these students. This can sometimes make it harder for those professors to get promoted.

When student protests at Reed College led to classes being canceled, Mary James spoke out. She explained on public radio and in the news why it's important to have teaching that includes everyone. As a teacher, she makes learning physics fun and active. She wants students to know that you don't have to be a "straight-A" student to be good at physics.

Supporting African American Physicists

In 2018, Mary James worked with the American Institute of Physics to start a program called TEAM UP. This program's goal is to help more African Americans study physics and astronomy in college. The program looked at different schools and gathered information.

In 2020, TEAM UP released a report. This report shared what helps African American students succeed in physics and astronomy. It also gave advice to teachers and colleges on how to increase the number of African Americans in these fields.

Recognition

In 2021, Mary James was named a Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS). This is a special honor given to scientists who have made important contributions. She was recognized for her great work in making physics more open and fair for everyone. This includes her leadership in the TEAM-UP Task Force and her role at Reed College.