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S. James Gates
As a child, James Gates had a lot of questions about the world, and, as he remembers it, his father always seemed to have the answers. Because of his father's willingness to help him think about questions and find a solution, James grew up thinking that questions always had answers. One of the topics that James had a lot of questions about was space. As he grew older, he realized that mathematics, combined with his imagination, was an excellent way of explaining the movement and behavior of objects in space.At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, James earned two bachelor's degrees, one in mathematics and the other in physics. He received a Ph.D. in physics from MIT, then did additional research at Harvard and Cal Tech before beginning his career as a professor. He has been on the faculty of MIT, Howard University, and the University of Maryland, where he now works full time.
James' research is in an area of theoretical physics called superstring theory. This theory uses complex mathematical descriptions to explain how gravity and other natural forces are connected. James works closely with other theoretical physicists around the world. The scientists operate like a large team, building on each others' ideas. The work is time-consuming and difficult, but James enjoys the process. "Like a detective, you follow your instincts to a lead," he says. He also realizes the importance of contributing to his field, and says, "I'm part of putting new stuff into the system."
As an outstanding physicist and as an African-American scientist, James has been recognized and rewarded for his work. He is the president of the National Society of Black Physicists, and recently received the first Visiting Minority Lectureship Award given by the American Physical Society. In 1993, the National Technical Association named him Physicist of the Year and co-recipient of the Technical Achiever of the Year Award.
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