UC Irvine undergraduates found new chapter of National Society of Black Physicists
The founding president of the UC Irvine chapter of the National Society of Black Physicists, Bryan Nnadi.
UC Irvine is now home to the newest chapter of the National Society of Black Physicists (NSBP).
The chapter’s founding was the result of a group of undergraduate physics students led by Bryan Nnadi – a third-year undergraduate who’s studying astrophysics in the UC Irvine Department of Physics & Astronomy, and who will be the chapter’s first president.
“I don’t see a lot of people who look like me studying physics, and in some respects that can be isolating,” said Nnadi, who got the idea to create an NSBP chapter at UCI when he traveled to the annual NSBP conference in 2023. “Founding NSBP at UCI helps foster a sense of community, and it helps me know I’m not alone as a Black physicist.”
Vincent Caudillo, another founding officer of NSBP at UCI, thinks the chapter stands to help transform the face of his field. “I’m extremely grateful and proud to be part of the founding group for NSBP at UCI, and I hope our efforts will foster a supportive community while also promoting diversity and inclusion within the field of physics, which can often feel isolating for many,” he said.
Founding officer Luke Xia agrees: “In a rapidly advancing world where diversity is more important than ever, I'm grateful for the opportunity to support NSBP and contribute to a more inclusive physics community,” he said.
The creation of the chapter builds on the already-expansive efforts by the UC Irvine Department of Physics & Astronomy to foster a department that champions diversity and access.
“The formation of the Student Chapter of the National Society of Black Physicists at UC Irvine marks a pivotal step in fostering diversity and inclusion within our department, and it is a necessary step as we strive to maximize our academic and research excellence.” said Professor Mu-Chun Chen, professor and Assistant Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Physical Sciences and faculty advisor for NSBP. “It creates a space where underrepresented students can find community, support and allyship as they pursue their scientific aspirations, and I’m thrilled to witness the growth of the group and excited for the transformative impact it will have on our academic environment.”
Read more: UC Irvine Physical Sciences a leader in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion work.