Spark: Virtual Book Talk with Ainissa Ramirez and James West
We are so excited to host beloved community member Ainissa Ramirez for the launch of, [Spark](https://www.possiblefuturesbooks.com/item/fDcyhWd7aivWFcutYmHqQ)_, a children’s biography of the inventor of the microphone, Jim West. Join this virtual event and see Ainissa discuss the book with the man who inspired it!
RSVP to join. Link provided here, via email, and on social media as the date approaches!
More about the book:
In this first picture book in the Black Innovators series, meet the insatiably curious Jim West, who invented a vital piece of the device we all carry in our pockets—transforming how the world communicates today.
Young Jim West loves to pull apart whatever electronics he can get his hands on to see how they work. Those around him say there’s no path for a kid like him to become a scientist, but Jim is determined to forge his own way. His knack for all things electric (and luck in landing a summer job offering the freedom to experiment) lead him to invent an important part of the devices we rely on every day. In this picture book biography for science lovers, future inventors, and anyone aiming to inspire the next generation, author Ainissa Ramirez shares the story of the man who patented the foil-electret microphone, a unit integral to everything from cell phones to hearing aids. Just as Jim West’s advocacy for more diversity in the field paved the way for many scientists of color to follow, Spark inspires readers of all ages to follow their curiosity—and see what it ignites. Back matter provides an author’s note, a time line, a bibliography, and more information on the life and work of Jim West.
More about Ainissa:
Ainissa Ramirez dreamed of becoming a scientist since she was a little girl. She got the idea after seeing an African American girl solve problems on a television show called 3-2-1 Contact. In that moment, Ainissa saw her reflection. She later earned her doctorate in materials science from Stanford and worked at Bell Labs, where she met Jim West. She wrote this book—the first of a planned trilogy about Black innovators—so that others can see their reflections in science, too. You can find out more about Ainissa Ramirez at www.ainissaramirez.com.
More about James:
James Edward West, Ph.D., a Bell Laboratories Fellow at Lucent Technologies, is a renowned expert in acoustics. His pioneering work in the 1960s, with co-inventor Gerhard Sessler, led to the invention of the foil electret microphone. Today, 90% of the 2 billion microphones manufactured yearly are electret microphones. These microphones are used in items from recording equipment and professional sound measurement instruments to phones, hearing aids, baby monitors, toys, and computers. Holding over 200 patents, Dr. West’s innovations have transformed sound recording and communications worldwide.
Dr. West is a staunch advocate of diversity in STEM education. While at Bell Labs, he was instrumental in coordinating a summer research program to improve diversity for women and underrepresented persons of color throughout the operating companies of AT&T.
Dr. West is a professor at Johns Hopkins University in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Read more in the National Inventors Hall of Fame https://www.invent.org/inductees/james-ewest