Black History in the Making: Kevin Brown

Kevin Brown is the Argonne Scholar and Walter Massey Fellow. PHOTO PROVIDED BY ARGONNE NATIONAL LABORATORY.
Kevin Brown is the Argonne Scholar and Walter Massey Fellow. PHOTO PROVIDED BY ARGONNE NATIONAL LABORATORY.

 Black History in the Making: Kevin Brown

By Tia Carol Jones

Growing up in Kingston, Jamaica, Kevin Brown was a curious child, especially when it came to why and how. When he was young, he would stay late at the library, roaming around and flipping through books, discovering new things about new topics he didn’t know anything about. At home, he would take apart appliances to see how they worked.

Brown started going into a field where he could spend time investigating new things and new problems to find out how the world works and how we can do things differently to solve new problems.  Brown credits his mother for helping cultivate his interest, being patient with him and explaining answers to all the why questions he had. He also credits his teachers, from elementary school to grad school, who created a space for him to explore and encouraged his curiosity.

Brown is an Argonne Scholar and Walter Massey Fellow in the Mathematics and Computer Science Division. His research focuses on the development of the next generation of supercomputers that can produce faster, more accurate climate predictions and broaden Artificial Intellignent (AI) use across scientific areas.

“Supercomputers are used to accelerate breakthroughs in science, from the nanoscale to the cosmic scale and everything in between.  We’re using them to develop cures for cancer, predict the weather, create new batteries, and in essence, trying to create a better society for all,” he said, adding that the faster a supercomputer is, the faster the breakthroughs can be discovered.

Brown believes that in order to make supercomputers faster, there is a need to build better networks to communicate information faster and solve problems faster. The bigger the systems get, the more important it is to have better networking technologies. Brown does this work because it is a critical part of being able to solve problems that need to be solved.

Brown feels that as a scientist he is still learning and always looking to learn about new things and new ways of doing things. He believes that “the moment we do reach a point where we can answer a question, we’ll develop more questions from that to solve new problems.” Brown considers himself a lifelong student.

Brown hopes that he is being a positive representation as a Black scientist by being a great scientist.  “Doing great science requires diverse collaboration. It requires doing what nobody else has done before, and also sharing the work we’re doing and sparking interest in a new generation. At Argonne, we’re dealing with challenges that won’t all be solved in my lifetime, so we have to prepare those who will run the next leg of the race,” he said.

Being the Walter Massey Fellow at Argonne National Laboratory is one of the greatest honors of Brown’s life. Walter E. Massey was the first Black director of Argonne, serving from 1979-1984. Brown described Massey as a trailblazer, in his scientific efforts, as well as creating a space in the nation to do great science. Brown added that the Walter Massey Fellowship emphasizes the lab’s commitment to great science being done by diverse people and being inclusive in how it goes about the work it does.

Brown has been able to mentor Black scientists and other scientists from underrepresented communities. Brown has participated in mentorship opportunities at conferences, as well as talking to students about the work being done at the lab.

“I get the opportunity to work with the most amazing people I’ve ever met in the world, who are really welcoming and very focused on doing some really great work and wanting to help people also do some great work,” he said. “Being at Argonne is one of the most beneficial steps I’ve made in my career towards me developing as a researcher, me being a part of a community that is doing great things,” Brown said.

 For more information about Kevin Brown, visit www.anl.gov/profile/kevin-a-brown. For more information about Argonne, visit www.anl.gov.

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