Black History Month is a time to show appreciation for the achievements of the Black scientists, educators, creators, activists, and others who have contributed to our nation’s greatness and continue to propel this nation forward every day.  

From astronomer Benjamin Banneker to NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson, Black innovators have made countless discoveries throughout American history that substantially contributed to American ingenuity and research. Black history is American history.  

The Commerce Department is home to many leaders in STEM fields whose innovations drive economic growth, create jobs, and help Americans lead better lives. In honor of Black History Month, we have chosen to highlight two outstanding individuals from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) who continue to be leaders in advancing research, education, and inclusion in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). 

At Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Symone Barkley is a Baltimore-born scientist and educator who has had a wide range of experiences in the marine science field. Symone studied algae, blue crabs, sand tigers, and sandbar sharks over the years while working toward her undergraduate degree and in graduate school. During undergrad at Hampton University, Symone was supported by the NOAA José E. Serrano Educational Partnership Program with Minority-Serving Institutions, and while obtaining her master's at Delaware State University, she was a recipient of the John A. Knauss Fellowship in 2016. 

Currently, Symone is NOAA’s National Ocean Service (NOS) Exhibits Manager and Education Specialist. In this role, she works to increase public awareness of products and services NOS provides. She supports NOS education efforts, sits on the NOAA Education Council and the Coastal Ecosystem Learning Center Network. Additionally, Symone hosts Ocean Today Every Full Moon, a collection of videos showcasing the beauty and mystery of the ocean realm while exploring various ocean topics. Symone is committed to mentoring students, amplifying the work of women, Black scientists, and educators, and creating authentic and effective systems to recruit and retain traditionally excluded groups in ocean science.  

Even with her exciting research experience, Symone’s passion for educating young people about the ocean and the environment remains at the forefront of her priorities. She is proud to support students and teachers through her presence on a number of local and regional environmental education and STEM boards.  

Symone is a member of the Environmental Education 30 Under 30 program from the nonprofit North American Association for Environmental Education. With a grant from the program, Symone launched A Peace of Nature, which provides STEM kits for young people, to equip traditionally excluded communities with resources and knowledge to act sustainably in their everyday lives and advocate for sustainable behavior in their communities. The kits provide students with interesting and engaging hands-on learning activities and encourage literacy in young audiences to help address the STEM learning gap and drive diversity in the field.  

Meanwhile, at Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), physicist William Ratcliff works to understand new materials that could be critically important for future computers and other devices. A fellow of the American Physical Society, William is a two-time winner of the DOC Bronze Medal.  

From his earliest years, William was interested in everything from subatomic particles to galaxies. When he was just seven years old, his pediatrician recognized his interest in astronomy and gave him a membership to an astronomy book club. In middle school, he won a contest from Kraft to attend Space Camp. “It was not like the movie, with kids swimming underwater,” he says. Instead, William learned all about model rocketry and other space science topics. After spending his high-school summers doing science research at the University of Michigan, he entered the university as an undergrad, studying electrical engineering and computer engineering before switching to engineering physics. He conducted research in cosmology and astrophysics throughout college, and also found himself deeply interested in artificial intelligence.  

While an undergrad, William took many graduate theoretical physics classes but realized he lacked experience doing physics experiments. The summer before graduate school, professor Sang-Wook Cheong at New Jersey’s Rutgers University (who would eventually become William’s Ph.D. adviser) gave him an opportunity to work with him at Bell Labs to create new materials. William made his first superconductor, a material that conducts electricity without resistance at low temperatures. “It was so exciting to watch the resistance drop to zero!” he recalls, as the material was being cooled down in the lab. As a graduate student at Rutgers, he did basic research on materials known as frustrated magnets, which are now thought to be potentially useful for quantum computers, devices that promise to perform certain tasks exponentially faster than ordinary computers. 

After receiving his Ph.D., William joined NIST as an NRC Postdoctoral Fellow. He then became a staff physicist at the NIST Center for Neutron Research, where he aims subatomic particles known as neutrons at materials to understand them better. He has studied materials known as multiferroics, which have properties that might be useful for improved computer memory devices and sensors. He has also explored a class of materials known as topological superconductors, which could potentially be used in quantum computing devices. William has also returned to his old interest in artificial intelligence and is using AI to accelerate the analysis of his experimental data on materials in NIST’s neutron experiments. 

William has been involved in multiple efforts “to change the culture of physics to make it more inclusive and welcoming,” he says. He has chaired the American Physical Society (APS) Committee on Minorities in Physics and is a member of the steering committee of the APS Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Alliance. He is also active with the National Society of Black Physicists. He has also mentored more than 30 students through NIST’s internships and fellowships for undergraduates and high school students.  

William’s advice for aspiring STEM researchers: “Find problems you’re interested in and work on them. Even if it’s hard, stick with it, and others may follow you. It’s also important to find great collaborators!”  

If you are a student who wants to follow in the footsteps of Symone and William, then NOAA, and NIST could be part of your future too!  

NOAA’s Office of Education provides educational resources and development opportunities for students ranging from pre-K through post-graduate levels. Graduate students are encouraged to apply for several immersive fellowships, such as the Sea Grant John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship, that put them at the center of marine science and policy decision-making in Washington DC. NOAA is also dedicated to sharing the latest climate, ocean, weather, and space science with teachers.  

NIST has programs for high-school students, undergraduates, and recent graduates; learn more, including eligibility and deadlines, on NIST’s Student Employment page. And if you're a Ph.D. recipient looking for your next opportunity, the NIST NRC Postdoctoral Research Associateships Program that brought William to NIST could be the next stop on your road to a STEM career!