CATALYST COLLIDER

We first imagined that each (Self) portraits might function as elements on the periodic table. Similar to the way elements combine to form compounds, we imagined a large collaborative artwork that would bond together achievements in art and science. As our project developed we also began to imagine how different areas of science, engineering and medicine may not only bond, but also crash into each other, spark and radiate into new ideas. While exploring this new idea we could not help but draw inspiration from the Large Hadron Collider in Geneva Switzerland. Contemporary scientists smashing atoms together with the hopes to understand the formation of the universe led us to imagine what it would look like to collide our explorations in art and science.

(click on image to enlarge)

FOR ARCHIE ALEXANDER

Eve V. for Archie Alexander

Archie A. Alexander was a civil engineer. He built streets, power plants, and sewer systems. Archie A. Alexander also made airfields. I picked him because his power plants are all over the world. To me, the most interesting things that he built are the bridges because it’s cool how they are so strong, big, and able to move in case a boat needs to pass through.

My name is Eve. I am 15 years of age. I like to listen to music and draw. After I finish school I would like to be either an artist or singer. I want to create art that will impact the world like Archie A. Alexander’s streets, sewers, and power plants. One day, I might even create art on a piece of something he has created.

FOR HOWARD S. JONES SR.

Chahravaun S. for Howard S. Jones Sr.

Howard Jones was a chief of the microwave research branch of the U.S. Department of the Army. He developed and designed state of the art microwave antennas, electronic components, and devices for use in communication systems. He also held 31 patents for things he designed. I chose Howard Jones Sr. because I found his work interesting and it made me wonder if he can send signals to life on other planets.

I am Chahravaun, age 13, and my favorite subject in school is science. I’m planning to get into college and become an astronomer. I think it connects to the work of Howard Jones because I want to send robots into space that can use communication systems to see if there is other life on different planets.

FOR KENNETH OLDEN

Patrice S. for Kenneth Olden

Kenneth Olden is a cell biologist who researched cancer. He has written many papers and books about cancer biology. I find his work interesting because it works with the human body.

My name is Patrice, I am 12 years old and I like skateboarding. My favorite thing to do is ride my skateboard and learn new tricks. When I grow up I want to be a veterinarian because I like animals. This relates to Kenneth Olden’s work because he studied the biology of human cells like I want to study the biology of animals.

FOR M. WHARTON YOUNG

Jenny L. for M.Wharton Young

M. Wharton Young was a neuroanatomist. He was also a scholar, professor, and visiting lecturer. His main research was I the fields of baldness and deafness. Research on the anatomical basis of glaucoma was also part of his studies. I found M. Wharton Young interesting because I’m interested in anatomy.

I’m Jenny, I am 14 and my interests include playing the piano and doing things that use my creativity. After graduating from school I plan to have a good paying job that I enjoy doing. I can kind of connect to M. Wharton Young because I plan on being in the medical field.

FOR SAMUEL M. NABRIT

Alize B. for Samuel M. Narbrit

Samuel M. Nabrit was a biologist with a long distinguished career in science education. He was an accomplished marine biologist and he studied the regeneration of the tail fins of injured fish. I choose Samuel M. Nabrit because he studied organisms in the ocean, which interests me.

My name is Alize and I’m 11 years old. I like to go online and chat with friends. I’m interested in weird fish in the sea and animals on land. When I grow up I want to be a veterinarian and study animals just like Samuel M. Nabrit did.

FOR JOHN B. SLAUGHTER

Jaire S. for John B. Slaughter

John Brooks Slaughter was a computer scientist. He was also President and CEO of
the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering. He’s best known for the
computer algorithms that he developed for system optimization and discrete signal
processing. The algorithms focused on ocean and environmental problems. He is a
member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He’s also the recipient of 28
honorary degrees.

My name is Jaire S. I am 11 years old and in 6th grade at Grover Washington
Jr. Middle School. I like to play football and baseball. When I grow up I want to be
involved with computers. This relates to John Brooks Slaughter because he worked with
computers too.

FOR CHRISTINE VONCILE MANN DARDEN

Ramon D. for Christine Voncile Mann Darden

Christine Darden was an aerospace engineer. She worked with sonic boom noise reduction. I found her interesting because she dealt with planes. She found out the sonic boom effect is by the shockwave of an airplane traveling faster than the speed of sound.

My name is Ramon. I am 13 years old and I love football. I also like to play basketball and video games. I choose Christine Darden because she worked with planes. When I grow up I want to be an electrician and planes use electronics to fly.

FOR GARRETT AUGUSTUS MORGAN, SR.

Briana C. for Garrett Augustus Morgan, Sr.

Garett Augustus Morgan invented the traffic signal, which is now called the traffic light. He also invented the gas mask, which he used to save people from a tunnel under Lake Erie. I chose Garret Augustus Morgan because I always wondered who created traffic lights.

My name is Briana and I am 11 years old. I like to play piano in my spare time, and in the car I like to wonder who controls the streetlights. Is it a button that someone pushes or is it automatic? When I grow up I want to be a Pathologist. A pathologist is a person who studies diseases and Garret Augustus Morgan used the gas mask he invented to prevent people from getting sick.

FOR BERNARD A. HARRIS, JR.

Han T. for Bernard A. Harris, Jr.

Bernard Harris is such an interesting scientist because he was an astronaut and studied muscles and skeletons. He participated in the first flight of the joint Russian-American Space Program, and he was also the first African American to walk in space. Not only is he an important scientist, but he’s also a professor of internal medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch. I chose Bernard A. Harris Jr. because I’m hoping to be an astronaut myself one day.

My name is Han. I was born in Vietnam to a very caring family in 1997. Everyday they encourage me to try my best at school. Their support means a lot to me. As a child growing up, I always wanted to be an astronomer and I still do today. I want to be an astronomer because I love the stars, the moon and so on. I’ve always wondered what else exists in the galaxy.

FOR BENJAMIN BANNEKER

Jacquez J. for Benjamin Banneker

Benjamin Banneker was a tobacco farmer, mathematician, and astronomer. In 1770 he met a man named George Elliot who was an astronomer. He let Benjamin use a telescope and read his astronomy books. In 1789 he became famous for successfully predicting a solar eclipse. After studying a pocket watch borrowed from a European trader, Benjamin Banneker was able to make his own clock that kept accurate time for the rest of his life. We are learning about many historical African Americans, but I chose Benjamin Banneker because he convinced Thomas Jefferson the almanac he wrote was as good as the ones written by people of any other race.

My name is Jacquez, I am 14 years old, and I go to Grover Washington Jr. Middle School. I like to spend time with my family and use computers. When I grow up I want to be a lawyer. Lawyers try to convince people that their client is right, and Benjamin Banneker convinced Thomas Jefferson that all races are equal.

FOR WANDA AUSTIN

Naaman J. for Wanda Austin

Wanda Austin is an engineer known for her work on satellites. She is the president and chief executive of The Aerospace Corporation. The Aerospace Corporation helps find solutions to important issues related to US Space Program, including national security. She has received many awards for her work, and she has been inducted into the Women in Technology International (WITI) Hall of Fame. I chose Wanda because I love satellites and space.

My name is Naaman. I am 12 years old and in 6th grade at Grover Washington Jr. Middle School. I love to watch and play baseball. When I grow up I want to be an engineer. This relates to Wanda because she was an engineer for the aerospace program too.

FOR ERNEST E. JUST

Reggie R. for Ernest E. Just

Ernest E. Just was a marine biologist. He studied organisms in the ocean and other bodies of water. Ernest E. Just researched the fertilization of marine animals in Massachusetts. He also wrote articles on his study of fertilization of the eggs of marine mammals. I chose Ernest E. Just because I’m interested in marine mammals and sea animals.

My name is Reginald. I am 11 years old and I enjoy bowling. My favorite sport is soccer. I want to be an architect when I grow up and draw things like aquariums with sea mammals inside.

FOR GEORGE CARRUTHERS

Ebony R. For George Carruthers

George Carruthers worked as a scientist that was responsible for developing a special camera. The camera was special because it was designed to study the earth’s upper atmosphere, interplanetary and interstellar space, stars, and galaxies by making observations of light in the far ultra-violet. I chose him because I think that he is interesting. We read his background and I thought, “Wow, he’s awesome!” I really like working with telescopes, especially with astronomy. Also this camera made a trip to the moon abroad Apollo 16 in 1972 and we are learning about satellites and telescopes.

My name is Ebony and I am 12 years old. I like all subjects, but my favorites are math and science, especially astronomy. When I grow up, there are so many occupations that I want to have, and one of them is an astronomer. If I become an astronomer, I hope to get the opportunity to use a telescope to learn and study facts about stars, planets, and so on. Maybe I could even use the camera like George Carruthers did, so that I could take pictures of what I see in the solar system.

FOR CHARLES HENRY TURNER

Tommy Y. - for Charles Henry Turner

Charles Henry Turner was a biologist, neurologist, and psychologist, who studied animal behavior. The main reason I chose Charles Henry Turner is because he studied insects such as bees and ants. Insects amaze me because they are more dangerous than they look. I even like how insects adapt so they can defend themselves from enemies. It was also fun learning what the bugs look like up close.

I can tell you a little about myself. My name is Tommy. Right now I am 11 years old. At home I like to play with my Legos. That’s why I want be a paleontologist when I grow up. Constructing dinosaur fossils is similar to constructing Legos. I will study dinosaurs just like Charles Henry Turner studied insects.

FOR MAE C. JEMISON

Rebecca C. - For Mae C. Jemison

Mae Jemison was best known for being the first African-American woman to go to space and to be in the NASA space program. Mae also practiced medicine. She founded a non-profit foundation. She has a degree in chemical engineering. I found being the first woman of color to go into outer space very interesting.

My name is Rebecca. I am 10 years old and I am attending Grover Washington Jr. Middle School. I like to draw and paint and I want to be an astronomer when I grow up. Mae Jemison was the first woman of color to go into space and I want to discover something new in space that no one ever seen before.

FOR ARLIE OSWALD PETTERS

Amir H-D. - for Arlie Oswald Petters

Arlie Oswald Peters is a professor of mathematics, physics, and business administration at Duke University. He is a multi-dimensional theoretician. Mr. Peters predicted effects that probe the nature of space-time around a black hole. He has won several awards and honors. I found him interesting because of his study of black holes and his study of space.

My name is Amir, I’m 12 Years old and I like football, tae-kwon-do, rock music, and video games. I want to be an archeologist when I grow up so I can study the earth to learn about the past like Arlie Oswald Peters studies space to learn about black holes.

FOR DANIEL HALE WILLIAMS

Kiersten W. - for Daniel Hale Williams

Daniel Hale Williams was the first person in the world to successfully operate on a human heart. He was the founder of Provident Hospital. That is a school for training African America nurses and interns. He was an important African American surgeon. I chose him because I think it is interesting that he was a heart surgeon.

My name is Kiersten. I am 12 years old. I like reading, dancing, singing, and just being a kid. When I grow up, I want to either be a lawyer or a medical doctor. I want to be a lawyer because I like debating things. I want to be a medical doctor because I am interested in the human body, such as the bones and how they work. Maybe I will even work with the heart like Daniel Hale Williams did.

FOR ALEXA I. CANADY

Cynthia L. - For Alexa I. Canady

Alexa I. Canady was the first African American female neurosurgeon. A neurosurgeon specializes in surgery on the spinal cord and the brain. She was chief of neurosurgery at Childrens Hospital of Michigan. I picked Alexa I. Canady because I find surgery of the brain to be very interesting.

My name is Cynthia and I’m 13 years old. I really like math and playing field hockey. When I grow up I want to be a lawyer, which requires you to use your brain and be smart so you can win your case, just like Alexa I. Canady used her brain to study the brain.

FOR WARREN M. WASHINGTON

Rashelle B. - for Warren M. Washington

Warren Washington was the inspiration for my artwork. Mr. Washington is a climatologist who studies climate patterns of the Earth. His creation of the climate map is used for the comparison of weather patterns. They have also been used for global warning predictions.

I am Rashelle, age 14, and I am in 8th grade. I chose Warren Washington because his work has a huge connection my works of art. Mr. Washington works with climate maps, which have a lot of color, shapes, and patterns. Some of the vibrant colors were used as an inspiration for some of my creations. In the future, I would like to become an interior designer and an artist. I would like to continue using Mr. Washington’s climate map as the inspiration for even more projects!

TRIP TO THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF THE SCIENCES IN WASHINGTON DC

On February 25th the students had the opportunity to listen to Warren M. Washington speak on climate change at the Third African American History Program Address at the Keck Center in Washington DC. At the end of the talk the students presented Mr. Washington with an artwork inspired by his life and work.

EXHIBIT AT GROVER WASHINGTON JR. MIDDLE SCHOOL

THE PROCESS

Our project began with students drafting reports on the achievements and biographies of nineteen distinguished individuals listed on the Cultural Programs of the National Academy of the Sciences, African American History Program website.Using these reports students then searched for imagery online to help visualize each distinguished individual’s achievements in science,engineering and medicine.



These images were then printed and used to guide the group to create a collection of drawings for each distinguished individual.



From these drawings each student created a digital (Self) portrait that contains drawing explorations from everyone in the group.