{"id":218,"date":"2023-12-08T16:55:16","date_gmt":"2023-12-08T21:55:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/diversescientiststhenandnow\/?post_type=chapter&p=218"},"modified":"2023-12-14T01:33:06","modified_gmt":"2023-12-14T06:33:06","slug":"dr-fred-begay","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/diversescientiststhenandnow\/chapter\/dr-fred-begay\/","title":{"raw":"Fred Begay","rendered":"Fred Begay"},"content":{"raw":"\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n

Fred Begay<\/em><\/h2>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\"Dr.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
\r\n

Time period:<\/h3>\r\n

20th century (1932 - 2013)<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Subject:<\/h3>\r\n

Physics (thermonuclear fusion)<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n

\r\n

Biography:<\/h3>\r\nFred Begay was born to Navajo and Ute parents on July 2, 1932, at the Ute Mountain Indian Reserve in Colorado, USA. Begay spent his early childhood there until he was sent to a government boarding school at the age of 10. At the boarding school, he was forced into learning farming until the age of 18. After leaving the school, Begay joined the American army and went abroad.\r\n\r\nUpon returning to the USA, he went back to his mother\u2019s farm but was once again sent away, this time by officials within his Navajo tribe, who had decided he was to study mechanical engineering using money they had received from the government for veterans. Begay studied at the University of New Mexico. Unfortunately, the education he had gotten at the government boarding school was not sufficient and he had attended high school classes at night. Working past this disadvantage, Begay earned a bachelor's degree in math and science, having changed majors because of a professor\u2019s suggestion. He then earned both a master\u2019s and Ph.D. in nuclear physics.\r\n\r\nFollowing graduate school, Begay worked for Los Alamos National Laboratories in the Nuclear Research Labs. Over the course of his career, Begay was also part of the University of New Mexico space physics research team and was a teaching and research fellow at both the University of Maryland and Stanford. Begay also contributed to numerous other organizations, including being the chairman of the Navajo Nation\u2019s Environmental Protection Commission, an advisor board member Center for Research on Education in Science, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology at Arizona State University, and a member of many National Science Foundation funded programs and committees.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n

\r\n

Summary of their contributions:<\/h3>\r\nAs staff at the Los Alamos Nuclear Research Labs, Begay worked on controlled thermonuclear fusion as a means of generating clean energy sources. He focused on plasma fusion to be harnessed to produce energy. Begay specifically worked on using lasers and electron and ion beams for the heating of plasmas to produce fusion. Unfortunately, despite decades of work on this, scientists have not yet been able to develop fusion as a power source.\r\n\r\nAs a member of the University of New Mexico space physics team, Begay worked on studying high energy gamma-rays and solar neutrons. The team studied the origin of these types of space-originating radiation.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n

\r\n

Integration with the BC Secondary Science Curriculum:<\/h3>\r\nFred Begay\u2019s work integrates particularly well with the curriculum for Science 10. His work on thermonuclear fusion and gamma-ray and solar neutron radiation ties into the topics of nuclear energy and radiation in the energy section. His work directly connects to the big idea of:\r\n\r\n\u201cEnergy is conserved, and its transformation can affect living things and the environment.\u201d\r\n\r\nWith his work in thermonuclear fusion having been aimed at creating alternate sources of clean energy, Begay\u2019s work is also directly related to the local and global impacts of energy transformations and how societies need to think about the effects of their energy production, how to mitigate those effects, and how to find alternatives.\r\n\r\nSpecific curricular competencies connected to Fred Begay\u2019s work include:\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nApplying and innovating:\r\n
    \r\n \t
  • By working on alternative clean energy sources, Begay helped to \u201ccontribute to finding solutions to problems at a local and\/or global level through\u201d research. His goal of creating thermonuclear fusion would have helped create energy sources that do not produce greenhouse gases and so aid in the fight against climate change.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nProcessing and analyzing data and information\r\n
      \r\n \t
    • Begay found connections between his science research and the teachings of native peoples, showing how \u201cFirst Peoples perspectives and knowledge, other ways of knowing, and local knowledge as sources of information\u201d can connect Western science.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n

\r\n

References:<\/h3>\r\n

Fred Begay - Research Physicist<\/em>. The Physics Careers Resource. https:\/\/www.compadre.org\/careers\/physicists\/Detail.cfm?id=1541<\/a><\/p>\r\n

Native American Connections | Biographies \u2013 Fred Begay. NASA. https:\/\/sunearthday.nasa.gov\/2005\/na\/bio_fred.htm<\/a><\/p>\r\n

Dr. Fred Begay. Legacy. https:\/\/www.legacy.com\/us\/obituaries\/legacyremembers\/fred-begay-obituary?id=8371606<\/a><\/p>\r\n

Fred Begay \u2013 Navajo\/Ute Nuclear Physicist. On Wildlife. https:\/\/onwildlife.org\/notable-figures-in-science\/fred-begay\/<\/a><\/p>\r\n

Biographies - Fred Begay -1932-. Council of Indian Nations. http:\/\/www.nativepartnership.org\/site\/PageServer?pagename=cin_bio_fredbegay<\/a><\/p>\r\n

Dr. Fred Begay (AKA Clever Fox, Fred Young). Carlson Caspers. https:\/\/www.carlsoncaspers.com\/diversity-and-inclusion\/diversity-spotlight\/dr-fred-begay\/<\/a><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>","rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n

Fred Begay<\/em><\/h2>\n<\/td>\n

\"Dr.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n

Time period:<\/h3>\n

20th century (1932 – 2013)<\/p>\n

Subject:<\/h3>\n

Physics (thermonuclear fusion)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Biography:<\/h3>\n

Fred Begay was born to Navajo and Ute parents on July 2, 1932, at the Ute Mountain Indian Reserve in Colorado, USA. Begay spent his early childhood there until he was sent to a government boarding school at the age of 10. At the boarding school, he was forced into learning farming until the age of 18. After leaving the school, Begay joined the American army and went abroad.<\/p>\n

Upon returning to the USA, he went back to his mother\u2019s farm but was once again sent away, this time by officials within his Navajo tribe, who had decided he was to study mechanical engineering using money they had received from the government for veterans. Begay studied at the University of New Mexico. Unfortunately, the education he had gotten at the government boarding school was not sufficient and he had attended high school classes at night. Working past this disadvantage, Begay earned a bachelor’s degree in math and science, having changed majors because of a professor\u2019s suggestion. He then earned both a master\u2019s and Ph.D. in nuclear physics.<\/p>\n

Following graduate school, Begay worked for Los Alamos National Laboratories in the Nuclear Research Labs. Over the course of his career, Begay was also part of the University of New Mexico space physics research team and was a teaching and research fellow at both the University of Maryland and Stanford. Begay also contributed to numerous other organizations, including being the chairman of the Navajo Nation\u2019s Environmental Protection Commission, an advisor board member Center for Research on Education in Science, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology at Arizona State University, and a member of many National Science Foundation funded programs and committees.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Summary of their contributions:<\/h3>\n

As staff at the Los Alamos Nuclear Research Labs, Begay worked on controlled thermonuclear fusion as a means of generating clean energy sources. He focused on plasma fusion to be harnessed to produce energy. Begay specifically worked on using lasers and electron and ion beams for the heating of plasmas to produce fusion. Unfortunately, despite decades of work on this, scientists have not yet been able to develop fusion as a power source.<\/p>\n

As a member of the University of New Mexico space physics team, Begay worked on studying high energy gamma-rays and solar neutrons. The team studied the origin of these types of space-originating radiation.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Integration with the BC Secondary Science Curriculum:<\/h3>\n

Fred Begay\u2019s work integrates particularly well with the curriculum for Science 10. His work on thermonuclear fusion and gamma-ray and solar neutron radiation ties into the topics of nuclear energy and radiation in the energy section. His work directly connects to the big idea of:<\/p>\n

\u201cEnergy is conserved, and its transformation can affect living things and the environment.\u201d<\/p>\n

With his work in thermonuclear fusion having been aimed at creating alternate sources of clean energy, Begay\u2019s work is also directly related to the local and global impacts of energy transformations and how societies need to think about the effects of their energy production, how to mitigate those effects, and how to find alternatives.<\/p>\n

Specific curricular competencies connected to Fred Begay\u2019s work include:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Applying and innovating:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • By working on alternative clean energy sources, Begay helped to \u201ccontribute to finding solutions to problems at a local and\/or global level through\u201d research. His goal of creating thermonuclear fusion would have helped create energy sources that do not produce greenhouse gases and so aid in the fight against climate change.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Processing and analyzing data and information<\/p>\n

      \n
    • Begay found connections between his science research and the teachings of native peoples, showing how \u201cFirst Peoples perspectives and knowledge, other ways of knowing, and local knowledge as sources of information\u201d can connect Western science.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

References:<\/h3>\n

Fred Begay – Research Physicist<\/em>. The Physics Careers Resource. https:\/\/www.compadre.org\/careers\/physicists\/Detail.cfm?id=1541<\/a><\/p>\n

Native American Connections | Biographies \u2013 Fred Begay. NASA. https:\/\/sunearthday.nasa.gov\/2005\/na\/bio_fred.htm<\/a><\/p>\n

Dr. Fred Begay. Legacy. https:\/\/www.legacy.com\/us\/obituaries\/legacyremembers\/fred-begay-obituary?id=8371606<\/a><\/p>\n

Fred Begay \u2013 Navajo\/Ute Nuclear Physicist. On Wildlife. https:\/\/onwildlife.org\/notable-figures-in-science\/fred-begay\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Biographies – Fred Begay -1932-. Council of Indian Nations. http:\/\/www.nativepartnership.org\/site\/PageServer?pagename=cin_bio_fredbegay<\/a><\/p>\n

Dr. Fred Begay (AKA Clever Fox, Fred Young). Carlson Caspers. https:\/\/www.carlsoncaspers.com\/diversity-and-inclusion\/diversity-spotlight\/dr-fred-begay\/<\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"author":1462,"menu_order":18,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-218","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":3,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/diversescientiststhenandnow\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/218","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/diversescientiststhenandnow\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/diversescientiststhenandnow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/diversescientiststhenandnow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1462"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/diversescientiststhenandnow\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/218\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":470,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/diversescientiststhenandnow\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/218\/revisions\/470"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/diversescientiststhenandnow\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/3"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/diversescientiststhenandnow\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/218\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/diversescientiststhenandnow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=218"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/diversescientiststhenandnow\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=218"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/diversescientiststhenandnow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=218"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/diversescientiststhenandnow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=218"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}