How I Became a Physicist: A Journey Across 3 Continents
The Early Days
I was born in a city called Bamenda in Cameroon, West Africa. My parents were strong advocates of education, even though they themselves never attended college. I am a first generation college student. From the early days in school, my parents always supported me and encouraged me to excel in school work. I excelled in school, always was among the top 5% in my class. Even though I was good at different subjects, I didn’t find my real passion until when I was in my 8th grade.
The Turning Point
When I was in the 8th grade, I accidentally discovered an old calculus book in a local library. On the very first page of the book, I found this quote by Alexander Pope, the great English Poet: “Nature and Nature’s laws lay hid at night, God said let Newton be, and there was light.” Alexander Pope was referring here to Isaac Newton’s genius and how his discoveries of the laws of mechanics and gravity ushered in the scientific and industrial revolution.
This quote was quite fascinating to me, it captured my imagination immediately. As I read the book further, I came to realize that Isaac Newton discovered calculus when he was trying to calculate the instantaneous velocity of a freely falling object. This was the turning point of my life. I knew from that moment that I wanted to study mathematics and physics for the rest of my life.
In high school, I took classes in mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology. I graduated from high school in 2001, again in top 5% in my class.
Bachelor’s Degree from University of Buea, Cameroon (Africa)
I attended the University of Buea between 2001 and 2004, graduated in top 5% with a degree in physics and a minor in computer sciences. At the University of Buea, I was mentored by Professor Dikande, who is the current chair of the physics program. He saw the potential in me and encouraged me to advance my studies in physics, so I decided to pursue a master’s degree. I was interested in learning more advanced concepts in physics that would enable me to be able to conduct research and contribute towards the discovery of new knowledge in physics.
Master’s Degree from University of Trieste, Italy (Europe)
In 2005, I was a recipient of the ICTP-University of Trieste Joint Scholarship for higher education in physics. This scholarship was a joint scholarship between the University of Trieste and the ICTP (International Center for Theoretical Physics), both in the city of Trieste, Italy. During the training program, I had the unique privilege to be taught by one of the world’s best physicists. I also attended and participated in numerous conferences and workshops bringing together scientists, physicists, and mathematicians from different parts of the world. One thing I also enjoyed was the program diversity, I created new friendships and collaborations with people from different parts of the world. It was such a great and unique experience. In 2007, I completed an advanced master’s degree in condensed matter/materials physics from the University of Trieste.
At this point in my life, It was quite clear to me that I wanted to become a physics professor and researcher, so I needed a doctoral degree and research experience in order to be competent.
Doctorate Degree in Computational Materials Physics, Lehigh University, United States (North America)
I was accepted into the PhD program at Lehigh University in 2007. In 2012, I obtained a PhD in computational materials physics. Lehigh was a great experience. During my doctoral studies, I developed computational models for studying the electronic and optical properties of carbon-based nanomaterials such as graphene and carbon nanotubes. I also had the opportunity to write scientific articles and attended numerous professional workshops and conferences.
I spent 6 months at Lehigh’s electrical and computer engineering department after my PhD studies as a postdoc. Those 6 months were quite successful. Working with another graduate student, we developed a computational model for simulating the optoelectronic properties of a novel semiconductor alloy that has potential applications in the field of solid state lighting. Our research was published in the Journal of Display Technology. Overall, it was a great experience to work with engineers.
Professional Life
From the turning point of my life when I stumbled on that old calculus book, to the time when I got my doctorate degree in physics, it took 15 years. It was a very long, bumpy, and enduring journey. Studying in different continents far away from home was quite a challenge too. But with passion, patience, and hard work, I was able to navigate through.
After my doctorate studies, I have held the following positions:
- August 2019 — Present: Associate Professor of Engineering & Physics, University of Central Oklahoma
- August 2018 — July 2019: Associate Professor of Physics, Pittsburg State University
- August 2013 — July 2018: Assistant Professor of Physics, Pittsburg State University (Pittsburg, KS, USA)
- May 2013 — June 2013: Physics Instructor, Lehigh University (Bethlehem, PA, USA)
- January 2013 — June 2013: Lecturer, Lehigh Carbon Community College (Schnecksville, PA, USA)
Take Home Message
- If I can do it, you can do it. Coming from a very humble background, studying physics back in the days with little or no access to the internet, lack of good educational materials, lack of computers, and no mentors or role models. It was quite challenging. But thanks to passion and hard work, I was able to navigate my way through.
- If you set the right goals in life, you can always accomplish it no matter how crooked and complicated the trajectory might be.
- Passion is all what it takes to be successful. When I studied physics, I was passionate about physics, and how it can be used to explain the Universe. The drive was not to get a job and make money, it was all about passion and curiosity. A job will always come later if you are good at what you are doing, but passion should always take precedence.
Thanks for reading!
