Yale honors young scientist for donating lanternflies
A 9-year-old Black scientist — who had the police called on her for hunting spotted lanternflies last year — wants to encourage other girls to enjoy science, regardless of anyone who discourages them.
“No one can stop you from pursuing your dreams and helping the ecosystem just like I did,” Caldwell, N.J., resident Bobbi Wilson said.
Wilson was honored during a Jan. 20 ceremony at the Yale School of Public Health for donating a collection of dead spotted lanternflies to the Yale Peabody Museum and for helping protect the ecosystem. The insects are an invasive species known for damaging crops, and the New Jersey Department of Agriculture recommends residents kill them on sight.
Wilson gained national attention in October when her neighbor, former New Jersey Councilman Gordon Lawshe, called the police on her for spraying lanternflies in her neighborhood. During a police recording obtained by CNN, Lawshe can be heard telling the Caldwell Police Department that he saw “a little Black woman” doing something that scared him. In the wake of multiple police brutality cases and shootings throughout the country, her mother, Monique Joseph, said she is very grateful the situation didn’t result in Wilson getting hurt. Joseph also said she is overjoyed with the outpouring of support her daughter has gotten.
“I wanted to change the trajectory of that day for Bobbi. I could have never planned this, but I am overwhelmed with joy. I am grateful. I feel like this country is tired of reading and seeing children have the worstcase scenario, losing their lives,” Joseph said. “We all know what could have happened if had been a different officer in a different town ...The fact that we have Bobbi, I don’t want to deny our country being able to celebrate one that got away.”
Lawshe’s lawyer Gregory Mascera told CNN in November that his client called the police because he didn’t want to be involved in a confrontation and apologized to Wilson and Joseph afterward. Hearst Connecticut Media reached out to Mascera for comment but could not immediately get in touch.
After hearing Wilson’s story, Yale Public Health Assistant Professor Ijeoma Opara used a callout on Twitter to help connect Yale with the girl. Wilson first visited the Yale Peabody Museum on Nov. 16, when staff expressed interest in the fourthgrader donating to the museum’s collection. The more than 1.5 million specimens in the museum are used by researchers and Yale students.
“At her age, I never thought of doing something like that and her brilliance but also empathy for the environment is truly notable,” Opara said in November. “I didn’t want her to be scared to doing something innovative and meaningful. I wanted her to leave this visit being motivated to continue catching lanternflies and exploring her environment.”
Wilson hunted the insects using a solution that she created from water, soup and apple cider vinegar. She has also created a hand sanitizer that has essential oils and bath bombs that use baking soda, VapoRub and Empson salt.
“One of my favorite things to do in science is mix stuff, so when I grow up, I want to be a chemist,” Wilson said.
While the museum is currently closed to the public as it goes through renovations, Wilson’s donation can be seen in Yale’s online database. The museum is set to reopen to the public in January 2024, according to Yale Peabody Museum Assistant Director of Student Programs Nicole Palffy-Muhoray.
“We were really happy to get to participate in this because we really want to support people, especially children to be able to go out into their environment and learn,” Palffy-Muhoray said. “Part of the reason why we wanted to do this for Bobbi and why we wanted to host this special visit is (because) part of the mission of the Peabody is that everyone is able to learn about the natural world wherever they are and whatever circumstances they are in.”
Joseph said that this situation has helped her realize the importance of encouraging children to embrace their interests and she has even bought a mini fridge to help Wilson store her experiments. Wilson has affectionately earned the nickname “Bobbi Wonder” from her family and friends because of her achievements.
“I thank God for this situation because, as a parent, before I was always like, ‘Stop using my Epsom salt, stop using up all of my products.’ But now I know it’s because she is a chemist. She’s exploring,” Joseph said.
Aside from Yale, Wilson said she also recently visited Princeton University, where she was able to see how Nitrogen ice cream is created.
The recognition at Yale is far from the first Wilson has received. The young scientist is expected to be honored by New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy during a Black History Month celebration on Feb. 21, according to Joseph.