Boston University professor Roscoe Giles has been named one of 2004’s “50 Most Important Blacks in Research Science” by Career Communications Group Inc. for his work with computers, physics and overall contributions to the science field.
Giles, deputy director of BU’s Center for Computational Science, will be honored next weekend during the Emerald Honors Conference for Research Science in Nashville, Tenn.
The conference aims to raise public awareness of minorities in science and to help inspire young people of color to have similar aspirations.
Giles said Thursday he was honored to be acknowledged for the award for his contributions to the field and stressed the need to continue to create opportunities in science for minorities.
“It’s important to keep progressing and make minorities feel less isolated,” he said.
What began as Giles’ childhood fascination with science when he played with light bulbs and batteries, has since turned into a career covering various scientific aspects.
Giles’ work spans over many fields including physics, computer science and engineering. Along with presiding over the CSC, he also teaches a course on microprocessors in the College of Engineering and is the co-founder and executive director of the Institute for African-American ECulture.
The IAAEC address technological issues over cultural boundaries including the “digital divide,” – a phrase coined to describe the lack of access minorities have to technological resources, Giles said.
Though the award came as a surprise to Giles, Research Assistant Professor Raquell Holmes said the award did not surprise her, considering Giles’ reputation.
“I knew he was big nationally. It’s impossible not to see how serious people take him,” she said.
Giles’ son, Raymond, said he felt his father deserved the award after observing his father’s expertise in computing.
“The award wasn’t a surprise because I’ve seen his work with computers for the last few years,” said Raymond, the assistant systems support specialist for BU.
In 2002, Giles chaired the 2002 Supercomputing Annual Conference – a national gathering of computer engineers and businesses.
Holmes, who has worked with Giles for the past six years, expressed accolades for Giles’ “diverse understanding of people” and his “national vision where computational science is functioning and where it is headed.”
Giles said he credits BU’s on-going efforts to bring great faculty and students to the university and outstanding facilities to work and study in.
“These facilities are not something you see many places,” he said. “But we need to vastly improve our reputation as an international institute to bring minorities and women into science.”
Along with providing access to minorities, Giles is a team leader for the National Science Foundation’s Education, Outreach and Training Partnership for Advanced Computational Infrastructure.
“It’s a participatory-design effort that will tailor computing systems to individual needs,” Giles said.
He said the foundation has made great progress since it began three years ago, recently starting a project to develop automated tutoring with teachers in Los Angeles.
“It’s a fledgling effort, but I’ve already seen progress,” Giles said.
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