Jami Valentine Miller, who earned her PhD in the department in 2007 working with Chia Ling Chien, has received the 2022 JHU Distinguished Alumna Award.  After successfully defending her dissertation, “Spin Polarization Measurements of Rare Earth Thin Films”, Dr. Valentine Miller became the first Black woman to earn a PhD in physics at Johns Hopkins. While at Hopkins, she started the website African American Women in Physics (AAWiP.com), a site that honors women who have paved the way to inspire future physicists, and connects allies interested in promoting diversity in physics and other STEM fields. Upon graduating, Dr. Valentine Miller pursued a career as a patent examiner with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, working on applications for semiconductor and spintronic memory devices, including those in Samsung and Apple products. In 2012, she was appointed to the level of primary examiner. Dr. Valentine Miller has devoted much of her career to efforts to improve diversity in physics. In addition to founding and continuing to oversee the AAWiP website, she has worked with the National Society of Black Physicists to increase awareness of underrepresented groups in the physics arena. She continues to work as a motivational speaker focused on non-academic careers in physics, perseverance in STEM, and intellectual property. Recent speaking engagements include the Scholars Spring Preview at Florida A&M University, and the Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics at The College of New Jersey. She also serves as the national chair for diversity for American Mensa, and has been a featured physicist in Cool Careers in Physics published by Sally Ride Science.