Prof. Hakeem Oluseyi, Distinguished Research Professor in the Department of Physics & Space Sciences at the Florida Institute of Technology, will give a brown bag lunch talk called “Hacking the Stars” on Tuesday, February 27 at noon in the B50 Auditorium. Oluseyi will discuss his professional journey as an astrophysicist, cosmologist, inventor, educator, science communicator, author, actor, and humanitarian. He will also share his personal experiences growing up as a Black man in America, and how they impacted his educational and scientific pursuits.
This event is part of the first annual Black History Month celebration sponsored by the African-American Employee Resource Group. Refreshments will be served. If you have any questions, please contact Kelliane Parker at kparkerlam@lbl.gov.
Bio:
Hakeem Muata Oluseyi is a Distinguished Research Professor in the Department of Physics & Space Sciences at the Florida Institute of Technology. He is temporarily stationed at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC where he is the Space Sciences Education Manager for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate via the Intergovernmental Personnel Act Mobility Program.
Hakeem grew up in some of the roughest neighborhood’s in this country, which led him to spending most of his time indoors reading and watching PBS nature shows. Growing up in this not so great situation did not preclude Hakeem from earning three degrees; a Bachelor of Science in Physics and Mathematics from Tougaloo College, a Masters and Ph.D. in Physics from Stanford University.
After finishing up with school, Hakeem worked at one of Silicon Valley’s most successful companies and did research on manufacturing computer chips. This work earned him 8 U.S. patents and 4 E.U. patents. Hakeem’s inventions can be found in the computer chips you use every day.
Hakeem did research for the first time at a summer program at the University of Georgia. He was pleasantly surprised by the freedom and responsibility he was given and found that he fit well into the research community, even though he was one of only a few African Americans.
“I find service to students and humanity as exciting as making a new scientific discovery. That is my life- I educate, I inspire, and I research,” Hakeem says. “I have to pinch myself sometimes. I couldn’t be happier.”
Looking forward to it! Especially interested to hear about his work in integrated circuits.
Thank you!
Amanda