James Andrew Harris (March 26, 1932 – December 12, 2000) was a nuclear chemist who was involved in the discovery of elements 104 and 105 (rutherfordium and dubnium, respectively). Harris is known for being the first African American to contribute to the discovery of new elements.
Harris attended Huston-Tillotson College in Austin. He studied chemistry and received a bachelor of science degree in 1953.
In 1975, Harris received a master's degree in Public Administration at California State University, Hayward.
Harris was awarded an honorary doctorate from Huston-Tillotson College in 1973 for his co-discovery of rutherfordium and dubnium. Harris was also a brother of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.
Harris' first job in chemical research was at Tracerlab Inc. as a radiochemist; he worked there for five years. After that time, Harris left Tracerlab Inc. to work on the Nuclear Chemistry department of the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory at University of California-Berkeley working on isotope division. In 1977, Harris was promoted to head of the Head of Engineering and Technical Services Division at Lawrence. Harris retired from his work in the lab in 1988.
Harris worked in the Heavy Isotopes Production Group. His job was to design and purify targets that would be used to discover elements 104 and 105. These targets needed minimal impurities of elements such as lead to work. Harris' colleagues praised his work, saying that it was high quality and good for elemental research.
HONORS & MERITS
◾Honorary PhD from Huston-Tillotson College (1973)
◾Scientific Merit Award from the Mayor of Richmond, CA
◾Certificate of Merit from the Black Dignity Science Association
ORGANIZATIONS
◾National Society of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers
◾Nuclear Target Society
◾American Chemical Society
◾AEC Transplutonium Program
◾Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity
No comments:
Post a Comment