CNMS Alumnus recognized at 2012 Alumni Awards Ceremony

Outstanding Alumnus
Natural & Mathematical Sciences

Dr. Kimani A. Stancil ’94, physics and mathematics
Howard University, Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Specialty Area – Soft Condensed Matter Physics

After receiving his degrees in physics and mathematics from UMBC in 1994, Dr. Kimani Stancil proceeded to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where he obtained in 2002 his Ph.D. in Physics studying polymer gels. Before beginning a postdoctoral fellowship in 2004 in nanoscience at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory at University of California Berkeley, he spent a little over a year teaching mathematics, science, and chess to grades 3 through 8 at Baltimore City’s Maarifa Elementary and Middle School; he later donated all his wages earned to the Maarifa School. After his postdoc in 2008, Dr. Stancil was appointed Assistant Professor of Physics at Howard University, where he currently teaches courses in calculus-based introductory physics – mechanics, electricity, and magnetism, and a course in graduate statistical mechanics. In his short career, Dr. Stancil has also produced one Physics PhD (Graduated Summer 2012), five publications (plus two recently submitted and three more in preparation), and has received external and internal research grants. He is a master level chess player and former Maryland High School Chess Champion, and has steadily found ways to combine his interests in math and science to attract students from under-represented groups to science. He is currently seeking external funding for his program, “AYA-All You can Aspire,” which combines physics and chess in an effort aimed to inspire youth and community. Dr. Stancil regularly serves as an unofficial mentor for students at UMBC – always giving back when possible. A member of the first cohort of Meyerhoff Scholars, he was the keynote speaker at the Meyerhoff Parent Association graduate reception this year. His speech included his original poetry written when he was a UMBC student.