Malian-American professor of physics
Diola Bagayoko is a Malian-American professor of physics at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Early life and education
Bagayoko grew up in Mali.[1]
In 1973, Bagayoko earned degrees in chemistry and physics from Ecole Normale Superieure in Barnako, Mali.[2] He then earned a master's degree in solid state physics from Lehigh University.[2]
Bagayoko earned his Ph.D. in theoretical solid state physics from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.[3]
Career
In 1990, Bagayoko started the Timbuktu Academy in Baton Rouge.[1][2] The academy hosts STEM-based summer programs for middle school and high school students mostly from underrepresented communities in science.[1]
Bagayoko is a member of the American Physical Society (APS).[4]
Bagayoko's mentoring model consists of student-centric goals like fostering confidence, involving students in research, and monitoring them.[1] He has attributed his passion for mentoring to his teachers in Bamako.[1] Bagayoko uses the power law of human performance and his belief that scientific knowledge is acquired cumulatively to push students away from self-doubt.[1]
Bagayoko published on mentoring topics over 50 times, and he has published on various condensed matter theories over 80 times.[3]
Bagayoko taught courses in introductory and mathematical physics, as well as classical, relativistic, and quantum mechanics in the United States and abroad.[3]
At the Southern University at Baton Rouge, Bagayoko is a Southern University System Distinguished Professor and the chair of the Department of Physics.[3]
Outside of academia, Bagayoko has consulted for organizations such as the Southern Regional Education Board and the United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization.[2]
Awards
In 1996, Bagayoko was given one of the first Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring.[3] In 2009, Bagayoko was awarded the AAAS Mentor Award for Lifetime Achievement.[3]
References
