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I can now share the news that I am the 2021 American Physical Society Bouchet Award winner! It was very thrilling to get this news especially since last year’s winner was Nadya Mason, one of my mentors.
https://www.aps.org/programs/honors/prizes/bouchet.cfm
https://www.aps.org/programs/honors/prizes/bouchet.cfm
My nomination was led by Alan Guth and supported by Tracy Slatyer, Geraldine Cochran, Tim Tait and the late Ann Nelson. I am really thankful to all of them for believing I deserved the award.
It is so heartbreaking that Ann is not with us now :-(
It is so heartbreaking that Ann is not with us now :-(
To contextualize this award:
1. Nadya and I are the first two Black women to win the award, which has been around since 1994.
2. Edward A. Bouchet was the first Black person to earn a PhD in the US - Yale, 1876, Physics.
3. This award is often misunderstood:
1. Nadya and I are the first two Black women to win the award, which has been around since 1994.
2. Edward A. Bouchet was the first Black person to earn a PhD in the US - Yale, 1876, Physics.
3. This award is often misunderstood:
The award is restricted to people who are Black, Hispanic and Native American who are “a distinguished minority physicist who has made significant contributions to physics research and the advancement of underrepresented minority scientists.”
Both. It’s a tall order.
Both. It’s a tall order.
In other words, the award *isn’t* “positive discrimination” or “for minorities who can’t compete.”
It’s specifically for marginalized people of color who did two things white supremacy tends to prevent us from doing:
excelling as physicists and supporting our communities.
It’s specifically for marginalized people of color who did two things white supremacy tends to prevent us from doing:
excelling as physicists and supporting our communities.
Making it as a physicist when you’re part of a marginalized POC group is a big challenge. To do work that is considered contributing to the advance of the field is not a guarantee and we face high barriers. In order to succeed, we are told to keep our heads down, not help others.
This award recognizes people who have managed to do both: excel as scientists and support their communities, rather than choose one or the other.
#BlackandSTEM https://twitter.com/ibjiyongi/status/1313815648678694912
#BlackandSTEM https://twitter.com/ibjiyongi/status/1313815648678694912
I’m not 100% sure about this but I might be the first person to win while still pre-tenure.
In either case, I’m thankful also to the selection committee, which recognizes doing both of these tasks simultaneously is hard, skilled work. https://www.aps.org/programs/honors/prizes/bouchet.cfm
In either case, I’m thankful also to the selection committee, which recognizes doing both of these tasks simultaneously is hard, skilled work. https://www.aps.org/programs/honors/prizes/bouchet.cfm
And I want to especially shout out everyone on Particles for Justice because while yes I bring a lot to the table, every single one of us did something that ultimately made the work we have done possible. We all busted ass to make #strike4blacklives happen.
And recording our non-successes: this is the first award in ages that I knew I was nominated for and actually won lol. And I didn’t win it the first year my nomination was active. I’m glad Nadya beat me out though. She was well overdue for this award. (And a MacArthur!)
And if you’d like to read the full citation for the award and my bio you can do so here: https://www.aps.org/programs/honors/prizes/prizerecipient.cfm?last_nm=Prescod-Weinstein&first_nm=Chanda&year=2021
I can’t emphasize enough what a big deal to me it was to be nominated by this group. As a child, I idolized Alan. To be his postdoc and to then be held in high esteem by him and other particle physicists of his ilk like Ann Nelson is truly one of the greatest awards. https://twitter.com/ibjiyongi/status/1313814051156303872
Ann died last year in a tragic hiking accident. She was one of the greatest theoretical particle physicists of her generation. I wish I had known who she was when I was a teen. I hope to change that for future teens. Here is my farewell to her: https://www.quantamagazine.org/ann-nelson-took-on-the-biggest-problems-in-physics-20190822/
And you can preorder my book from an establishment of your choosing here: https://www.boldtypebooks.com/titles/chanda-prescod-weinstein/the-disordered-cosmos/9781541724709/?utm_expid=.OyywKgKNQfKo0ZgN1WBZtg.0&utm_referrer=
I am SOOOOOO excited about the actress who is doing the audiobook, which is currently available for preorder at audible, but if you're a @librofm subscriber like me, they will eventually have it too! Mark your calendar for release day! https://www.boldtypebooks.com/titles/chanda-prescod-weinstein/the-disordered-cosmos/9781541724709/?utm_expid=.OyywKgKNQfKo0ZgN1WBZtg.0&utm_referrer=
When I say I am super excited about the actress I mean when I listened to her audition I actually kind of wanted to read my book again -- through her voice. And I've read my book like eleventy times.
I'm gonna go roller skate around my house now
