Faculty on Fire

The Power of HBCUs, Mentorship and Experiential Learning in STEM with FL-C LSRCE Faculty Liaison Dr. Cleon Barnett

Dr. Cleon Barnett’s relationships with mentors in STEM solidifies the importance of representation and broadening participation efforts like the Florida-Caribbean Louis Stokes Regional Center of Excellence. Diversifying STEM pathways ensures underrepresented minority students develop a STEM identify, or belief that they, too, can become scientists. 

While attending a summer program for high school students at Alabama A&M University (Huntsville, Alabama,)  a young Cleon Barnett was introduced to potential  careers in physics, however, not until graduate school at Fisk University (Nashville, Tennessee) did he realize he also wanted to earn his Ph.D. in Physics. He went on to achieve his dreams at Florida A&M University (Tallahassee, Florida) and now the young man from the small southern town of Mounds, Illinois, is a successful Physics professor at Alabama State University, teaching students from all over the world.

Dr. Barnett credits several professors and peers for molding him into a better student and keeping him inspired while pursuing his academic and professional goals. He says that while at Fisk, Dr. Edward Thomas and Dr. Michael Watson mentored him during his plasma physics studies. While completing his doctoral studies at Florida A&M University, Dr. Barnett recalled,  “I don’t think there was one professor in the physics program that didn’t contribute in some way to my development … Dr. Lewis Johnson took a leap of faith and allowed me to study laser spectroscopy under his guidance.”

This mentorship and experiential learning opportunity fueled his desire to go into higher education and provide students the same laboratory research he had during his studies. Dr. Barnett has been recognized for his work with minority students in STEM. His accolades include Alabama State University’s 2011 “STEM Faculty of the Year” and a National Nuclear Security Administration consortium award. This award provided Dr. Barnett the opportunity to collaborate with faculty and students at other minority serving institutions and national laboratories.

As a newer professor, Dr. Barnett also learned an early lesson that transparency is key in mentoring students. For a test, he once distributed an equation sheet to his students that contained an incorrect equation. Upon discovering his error, he was transparent and admitted this mistake to his students. Dr. Barnett lets students know that although he’s a scientist and professor, he’s still human and will make mistakes. Persevering through challenge is one of Dr. Barnett’s mentoring messages. He says, “Instead of complaining about situations, I look for what I can learn or make better in the midst of it” - a practice he’s teaching his STEM students and mentees.

Dr. Barnett’s main research area of interest is Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS.) According to him, LIBS  “has evolved into a useful analytical technique offering elemental analysis that is both cost efficient and relatively simple … however, improvements in the sensitivity are often sought.” Currently, he is pursuing methods to increase the sensitivity of the technique using nanomaterial.

Dr. Barnett is also part of the “Infusing Collaborations in Forensics for Conceptualizing Student Innovation at Alabama State University (CSI-ASU) team at Alabama State University, a $200,000 award from the National Science Foundation (NSF). CSI-ASU allows students in the Department of Forensic Science to train and work alongside STEM faculty on research projects doing cutting-edge research.

Read more about Dr. Barnett’s involvement with ASU’s current NSF grant program.