Jessica Esquivel

Jessica Esquivel is a Black Mexican and American physicist and science communicator, working at the Muon g-2 particle physics experiment at Fermilab. She is an advocate for gender and racial equity in science, and a lead organiser of #BlackInPhysics, a campaign to recognize and amplify the work of Black physicists worldwide. She was also selected as an AAAS IF/THEN Ambassador in 2019.

Jessica Esquivel
NationalityAmerican, Mexican
Alma materSt Mary's University, Texas, Syracuse University
Scientific career
FieldsParticle physics, neutrino physics, machine learning
InstitutionsFermilab
ThesisMuon/Pion separation using Convolutional Neural Networks for the MicroBooNE Charged Current Inclusive Cross Section Measurement (2018)
Doctoral advisorMitchell Soderberg

Early life and education

Esquivel was interested in science and engineering from a young age, inspired by science-fiction films and space exploration.[1][2] She attended science camps as a child, and studied high school at the Science Academy of South Texas.[3]

She obtained her Bachelor of Science from St. Mary's University, Texas in 2011, with a double major in electrical engineering and applied physics.[4]

Esquivel received a PhD in physics from Syracuse University in 2018, where her doctoral research focused on developing and applying machine learning methods to improve data analysis in particle physics experiments.[5] Specifically, she used convolutional neural networks to analyze data from MicroBooNE neutrino detection experiments.[6][7] She was awarded a University Research Association Visiting Scholars Program Scholarship (2016) and Neutrino Physics Center Fellowship (2017) during her PhD.[8][9]

Research career

In 2018, Esquivel joined Fermilab, where she works on the Muon g-2 project.[10] This experiment aims to test the current theories of the Standard Model of particle physics by measuring the anomalous magnetic dipole moment of muon particles to a high degree of accuracy.

Outreach and advocacy

Throughout her doctoral studies and research career, Esquivel has participated in a variety of science education and outreach programs. During her PhD she published a series of blog posts about her experiences as a graduate student for the website Interactions.org.[11] In 2018, she received an award from the Fermilab Friends for Science Education, recognising her contributions to Fermilab's K-12 education and outreach program.[12] She represented Fermilab at Wakandacon 2019, a three-day convention celebrating Afro-futurism, science, technology, and Black culture.[13][14] In 2021, she was featured on the show Mission Unstoppable with Miranda Cosgrove aired by CBS.[15]

Esquivel is also vocal advocate for increasing equity and diversity in science, and has worked to improve the experiences of women, gender minorities, LGBT+ and Black people in science.[16][17][18][19][20] She was one of 125 women awarded an IF/THEN Ambassadorship by the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2019.[21] She was selected to represent the US delegation at the 2020 International Conference on Women in Physics, organised by International Union of Pure and Applied Physics.[22]

In 2020, Esquivel was one of the leaders of the inaugural #BlackInPhysics Week, along with Charles D. Brown II and Eileen Gonzales.[23] The campaign, inspired by Black Birders Week and other #BlackInX initiatives, aimed to increase the celebrate the contributions of Black physicists and amplify their work. BIPW was widely reported on and supported by Physics World, Nature Physics, the American Institute of Physics.[24][25] Esquivel is also a member of Change Now Physics, a team of Black physicists campaigning for racial equity at Fermilab.[26]

Awards

References
  1. Hannibal, Mary Ellen (2020-03-28). "What a Real Superhero Looks Like". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  2. "Chicago's Black Women in STEAM Series: Meet Jessica". Adler Planetarium. 2019-05-15. Retrieved 2021-02-27.
  3. Hannibal, Mary Ellen (2020-03-28). "What a Real Superhero Looks Like". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. "Jessica Esquivel". www.earthsciweek.org. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
  5. Esquivel, Jessica Nicole (2018-01-01). "$\mu / \pi$ Separation using Convolutional Neural Networks for the MicroBooNE Charged Current Inclusive Cross Section Measurement". doi:10.2172/1437290. OSTI 1437290. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  6. Esquivel, Jessica (2018-05-13). "Muon/Pion separation using Convolutional Neural Networks for the MicroBooNE Charged Current Inclusive Cross Section Measurement". Dissertations - ALL.
  7. "INSPIRE". inspirehep.net. Retrieved 2021-02-27.
  8. "Previous Awardees". Universities Research Association. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
  9. "Spring 2017 Scholars". Neutrino Physics Center. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
  10. "Passionate about Particle Physics: Featuring Four Fermilab Women". Energy.gov. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
  11. "Mentors and Representation". Interactions. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
  12. "Fermilab Education Office - Director's Award". ed.fnal.gov. Retrieved 2021-02-27.
  13. Bedford, Bailey (9 August 2019). "Fermilab promotes science and diversity at Wakandacon in Chicago". Retrieved 2021-02-26.
  14. Bedford, Bailey. "Channeling Shuri as a physicist at Wakandacon". symmetry magazine. Retrieved 2021-02-27.
  15. "Jessica Esquivel". IMDb. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
  16. Bjorkquist, Robin; Bogdan, Abigail M.; Campbell, Nicole L.; Chessey, Mary; Cochran, Geraldine L.; Cunningham, Beth; Esquivel, Jessica N.; Gladstone, Laura; Gosnell, Natalie M.; Guruswamy, Sathya; Hallinen, Kelsey M. (2019-06-03). "Women in physics in the United States: Reaching toward equity and inclusion". AIP Conference Proceedings. 2109 (1): 050040. Bibcode:2019AIPC.2109e0040B. doi:10.1063/1.5110114. ISSN 0094-243X.
  17. Hennessey, Eden; Cole, Joanne; Shastri, Prajval; Esquivel, Jessica; Singh, Chandralekha; Johnson, Rosie; Ghose, Shohini (2019-06-03). "Workshop report: Intersecting identities—gender and intersectionality in physics". AIP Conference Proceedings. 2109 (1): 040001. Bibcode:2019AIPC.2109d0001H. doi:10.1063/1.5110070. ISSN 0094-243X.
  18. McCullough, Laura; Esquivel, Jessica (2020-05-01). "The International Conferences for Women in Physics". The Physics Teacher. 58 (5): 349–351. Bibcode:2020PhTea..58..349M. doi:10.1119/1.5145534. ISSN 0031-921X. S2CID 219421439.
  19. Taylor, Michelle (2020). "Women in Science: The Intersection of Identity and Profession". www.laboratoryequipment.com. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
  20. "Black voices in physics: Jessica Esquivel". Physics Today. 2020 (4): 1022h. 2020. Bibcode:2020PhT..2020W1022.. doi:10.1063/PT.6.4.20201022h. S2CID 241236877.
  21. Hesla, Leah (12 September 2019). "Fermilab scientist Jessica Esquivel selected to be AAAS ambassador for girls in STEM". Retrieved 2021-02-26.
  22. "7th International Conference on Women in Physics: U.S. Delegation". www.uswip.org. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
  23. "Meet the organizers of #BlackInPhysics Week". Physics Today. 2020 (4): 1026b. 2020. Bibcode:2020PhT..2020R1026.. doi:10.1063/PT.6.4.20201026b. S2CID 243455670.
  24. Brown, Charles D.; Gonzales, Eileen (2021-01-04). "Excellence and power in the Black physics community". Nature Physics. 17 (1): 3–4. Bibcode:2021NatPh..17....3B. doi:10.1038/s41567-020-01140-9. ISSN 1745-2481. S2CID 230508779.
  25. "Stories from Black Physicists in Our Collections". www.aip.org. 2020-06-26. Retrieved 2021-02-27.
  26. "About". Change - Now. 2020-08-15. Retrieved 2021-02-27.
  27. "125 Women in STEM Selected as AAAS IF/THEN Ambassadors | American Association for the Advancement of Science". www.aaas.org. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
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