Gihan Kamel awarded the John Wheatley Award 2025

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"

In addition to Gihan Kamel, the 2025 Wheatley Award recognises the outstanding efforts of Sekazi Mtingwa and Simon H. Connell, both of whom have displayed extraordinary dedication to capacity building in poor countries. Mtingwa's leadership in training scientists and promoting synchrotron light research in Africa and other regions has significantly improved the continent's scientific capabilities, as has his involvement with the Lightsources for Africa, the Americas, Asia, and the Middle East Project (LAAAMP), an initiative aimed at increasing synchrotron research capacity in developing regions. Connell, recognised for his close involvement with AfLS, has been a strong champion for the development of long-term scientific infrastructure in Africa. Commenting on this recognition, Simon Connell said, “In a very troubled world, we are humbled to have the opportunity to use science to build peace, equity, diversity, and inclusion.” " It is indeed an honor to share the APS John Wheatley Award with my Dear Colleagues, Gihan Kamel and Simon Connell” continued Sekazi Mtingwa, pointing out how “the Award will provide a tremendous boost to our efforts to build scientific and technological infrastructures and human capacity throughout the global community."

SESAME extends its congratulations to Gihan Kamel, Sekazi Mtingwa, and Simon Connell for this well-deserved recognition. The links between SESAME, AfLS, and LAAAMP highlight the power of international collaboration in advancing scientific progress. The recognition of these three scientists with the Wheatley Award underscores SESAME’s mission to promote regional and global scientific cooperation, ensuring that knowledge and technology are accessible to all.

The award presentation will take place at the 2025 APS general meeting, where their contributions will be celebrated by the global scientific community.