Garrett Williams, a second-year PhD student in Department of Physics and the Illinois Quantum Information Science and Technology (IQUIST) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, won for his essay “Lewis Latimer: The Shadow Behind the Light Bulb.” Williams completed his B.S. dual-degree in Physics and Chemistry at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. His research is in ultracold atomic physics with the goal of investigating novel states of quantum matter for experimental approaches to quantum computing. He enjoys playing the piano and all kinds of formal writing from research-driven works to musical compositions.

Hannah Pell, co-runner up for her essay “The ‘Opinion Splitter’: How the Superconducting Super Collider Divided American Physicists,” currently works in science publishing and as a freelance science writer. She is a former Research Assistant for the Center for History of Physics at the American Institute of Physics and an alumna of the Fulbright Program. She earned her B.S. in Physics and B.A. in Music from Lebanon Valley College and her M.A. in Music Theory from the University of Oregon. Her current research interests include science policy and communication with regards to nuclear power, large-scale high energy physics collaborations, and intersections between science and labor history. She has also been appointed to the Citizens Advisory Panel for the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant decommissioning process.

John Vastola, whose essay “Who’s Afraid of Max Delbrück?” also earned a co-runner-up award, is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Vanderbilt University. He currently uses theoretical tools from physics to better understand how individual cells regulate how many proteins and RNA of various kinds they have. More broadly, he is interested in asking and trying to answer questions about nature; for example, how do collections of apparently inanimate atoms conspire to form our friends and family?

To see details of the award and to read the essays, visit https://wwwaps.org/units/fhp/essay/index.cfm.

Garrett Williams, graduate student in physics at the University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign

Hannah Pell, freelance science writer

John Vastola, graduate student in physics at Vanderbilt University

The articles in this issue represent the views of their authors and are not necessarily those of the Forum or APS.