SESAME is pleased to announce that three distinguished scientists, Gihan Kamel, Sekazi Mtingwa, and Simon H. Connell, have been named the 2025 recipients of the prestigious John Wheatley Award, which is given biennially by the American Physical Society (APS) to recognise exceptional contributions to capacity building in the Global South through advancing physics research and education.
Gihan Kamel, principal scientist at SESAME’s Infrared Spectromicroscopy beamline, has been recognised for exceptional contributions to capacity building in Africa, the Middle East, and other developing regions, including leadership in training researchers in beamline techniques at synchrotron light sources and establishing the groundwork for future facilities in the Global South.
Kamel’s contributions go beyond her role in SESAME: as a prominent member of both SESAME and the African Light Source (AfLS) – a project aiming at establishing Africa’s first synchrotron facility – her efforts have been critical in bridging gaps between SESAME and the African Light Source, resulting in a strong network that promotes cross-border scientific progress. In the words of Gihan Kamel in commenting on the Award: “Science is not meant to stay inside laboratories or published in research papers. Science must have a global mission and must always find its way everywhere despite challenges and disappointments“
Read more on SESAME website
Image: Gihan Kamel