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Dr. Diola Bagayoko (born 1948) is an emeritus professor of physics at Southern University, as well as a director of the Timbuktu Academy and an associate director of LaSPACE. In 1996, he was one of the first people to be awarded the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring.

Early life and education
Bagayoko was born on December 12, 1948, in Bamako, Mali.

He received his Bachelor of Science for Physics and Chemistry from École Normale Supérieure of Bamako in 1973 and his Master's degree in Solid State Physics from Lehigh University in 1978. He received his Ph.D in Theoretical Solid State Physics from Louisiana State University in 1983.

Career
Before pursuing his Master's Degree, Bagayoko worked as a high school science teacher, teaching physics and chemistry at Sikasso High School in Sikasso, Mali from 1973 to 1975.

From 1978 to 1983, he worked as a research and graduate assistant at Louisiana State University.

After receiving his Ph.D, Bagayoko began his career as a physics professor at the University of Benghazi, working as a physics lecturer from 1983 to 1984. He then began teaching at Southern University in 1984, acting as an assistant professor of physics until 1989, when he was made an associate professor. In 1994, Bagayoko was made the director of the Master's Degree Program in Physics at Southern University, and in 1999 was made a distinguished professor of physics.

During his time as an associate professor, Bagayoko mentored several physics students, 6 per year on average. In 1990, he established the Timbuktu Academy, a mentorship program for high school and undergraduate students in the sciences, which receives funding from organizations such as the National Science Foundation, NASA, and the United States' Department of the Navy.

In addition to his teaching and mentorship roles, Bagayoko was also the associate director of the Louisiana Space Consortium from 1992 to 2005, and the associate director of the Louisiana Space Grant in the time after.

He has also served as a member of the American Physical Society's Committee on Minorities.

Research
Bagayoko has published upward of 90 papers on the subject of condensed matter theory. He was part of the group who introduced the Bagayoko, Zhao, and Williams (BZW) procedure, which laid the groundwork for predictive calculations of electronic properties of semiconductors.

In addition, Bagayoko has published over 60 papers dealing with mentoring and teaching.

Awards and honors
B5.  AWARDS AND HONORS (Representatives out of the 40 major ones)

[To be announced in February 2010: Dr. Bagayoko is the recipient of the 2009 Mentor Award of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)]


 * The National Thurgood Marshall College Fund Distinguished Faculty Award to Dr. Diola Bagayoko, Director, the Timbuktu Academy, March 15, 2009.
 * National Benjamin Banneker Legacy Award (To Bagayoko and the Timbuktu Academy), 2007, Award presented by Dr. Bill Cosby  in the J W Marriott in Washington, D.C., on November 7, 2007.
 * Southern University Grantsmanship Awards: Most Awarded Proposals (2001-02 & 1998-99)
 * Founder and director of the Timbuktu Academy, the Academy was a recipient of the 2002 US Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring
 * Award of Volunteers in Public Schools (and Golden Apple Nominee, 2002)
 * Distinguished Service Award, Forest Heights Elementary (2002)
 * Southern University Grantsmanship Award: Millionaire Club (Each year, from 2001-02 to 1998-99)
 * Southern University System Distinguished Professor (1999-present).
 * Ciwara D’Exception, national award in Mali, West Africa, for exceptional accomplishments (1997)
 * One of the first group of 10 recipients of the U.S. Presidential Award for Excellence in Science,

   Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring (1996; Washington, D.C.), for individuals


 * Chancellor's Fellow, distinguished academic appointment at SUBR (1994).
 * SU System's Presidential Faculty Excellence Award (May 1993)
 * Louisiana Governor's Award for Excellence in Educational Reform (1993)

Chancellor's Fellow (1994-present), SUBR