Oliver Keith Baker facts for kids

Oliver Keith Baker is an amazing American scientist. He studies two exciting areas of physics: tiny particles and outer space! He's famous for his work on something called the Higgs boson and a mysterious substance known as dark matter. In 2002, he won a special award, the Edward Alexander Bouchet Award. This award recognized his important research in physics and his efforts to inspire young people in science.

Early Life and Education

Oliver Keith Baker was born in McGehee, Arkansas in 1959. He grew up in Memphis, Tennessee. His parents were Oliver and Yvonne Baker.

He loved science from a young age. He went to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). In 1981, he earned his first degree in physics there. Later, he continued his studies at Stanford University. He earned two more degrees from Stanford. He got a master's degree in physics and math in 1984. Then, he completed his Ph.D. in physics in 1987. A Ph.D. is the highest university degree. For his Ph.D., he worked on experiments in nuclear physics.

Career in Science

After getting his Ph.D., Dr. Baker worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory. This was from 1986 to 1988. He did research on something called muon-catalyzed fusion. This is a way to create energy using tiny particles.

In 1989, Dr. Baker joined Hampton University. He became a professor in the physics department. He also worked as a scientist at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. In 2002, Hampton University gave him a special professorship. This was for his important work in physics. It also recognized his efforts to help others learn about science.

Discovering New Particles

In 2006, Dr. Baker became a professor at Yale University. He made history there. He was the first African American professor to get a permanent job in the physics department.

Dr. Baker is part of a huge science team called the ATLAS Collaboration. In 2012, this team made a big discovery. They found the Higgs boson. Scientists had predicted this tiny particle for many years. It helps explain why other particles have mass.

Exploring Dark Matter

Dr. Baker also studies dark matter. This is a mysterious substance in space. Scientists believe it makes up a lot of the universe. But we can't see it directly. He also studies "paraphotons." These are like hidden versions of light. They might help us understand dark matter. He looks for clues by studying very powerful cosmic rays. These rays come from distant objects in space.

In 2010, Dr. Baker became the director of Yale's A. W. Wright Nuclear Structure Laboratory. This lab has advanced tools. Scientists there study tiny particles like neutrinos. They also research dark matter and other basic rules of physics. In 2021, he received another special title at Yale. He became the D. Allan Bromley Professor of Physics.

Awards and Honors

Dr. Baker has received many awards for his important work:

• Elmbers Innes Award from the National Society of Black Physicists.
• US ATLAS Distinguished Researcher.
• E. L. Hamm, Sr. Distinguished Teaching Award.
• 2002 - Edward Alexander Bouchet Award from the American Physical Society.
• 2006 - Inducted into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame.