"FRONTIERS OF PHYSICS" (F.O.P.)

  • Founded: 2019
  • Founders & Directors: Dr. Charles W. Clark of NIST and Prof. Sultana N. Nahar of Astronomy of The Ohio State University

  • FOP is the first US-Bangladesh collaborative program for Physics, based in the USA but working with physicists in Bangladesh, for advancing science and education in Bangladesh through partnership with Department of Physics, University of Dhaka and Bangladesh Physical Society

  • Held the first US-Bangladesh conference on Physics with Keynote speaker US Nobel Laureate in Physics, Dr. Eric Cornell
  • THE BOOK OF ABSTRACTS and some details are given below


    For details, click webpage: Bangladesh Physical Society For free online stream access of the conference click to: BPS facebook

  • Due to COVID-19 pandemic, the planned in-person conference was changed to virtual, as given above, and full day sessions were shortened to half days.


  • OBJECTIVES
    COMMITTEE MEMBERS & CONTACTS
    CONFERENCES /PRESENTATIONS
    REPORTS & IMPACT
    OPPORTUNTIES/ USEFUL INFO
    FOP PRIZES FOR STUDENTS
    ACTIVITIES
    NEWS/MEDIA

    OBJECTIVES:

  • Objectives:

  • Exposure of physics research in Bangladesh and in the USA though conferences

  • Collaboration in research projects through training and exchange programs

  • Introduce physics research and education in Bangladesh to international Physics community through the American Physical Society newsletter

  • Guidance with information to students for Ph.D. admission in US universities

  • Possible introduction of student scholarships in Physics

  • Initiation of the Frontiers of Physics program through a high profile conference which will include Nobel laureate Dr. Eric Cornell

    Messages on objectives published in the Book of Abstracts:

  • S.N. Nahar and C.W. Clark: FOP message, Physics Conference, Feb 5-7, 2021

  • U.S. Ambassador Earl Miller in Bangladesh: message in English, - message in Bangla, Inauguration, Physics Conference, Feb 5-7, 2021

    BACKGROUND:

     Bangladeshi American physicist at NIST Dr. Mohammad Arif (1954-2018): Muhammad Arif was born in Madaripur, Bangladesh. He received B.Sc. and M. Sc. degrees in physics from the University of Dhaka in 1976 and 1978. Arif then moved to the U.S.A. to pursue advanced studies and was awarded a Ph.D. in physics by the University of Missouri in 1986. He spent his entire postdoctoral career at the National Institute of Standards of Technology (NIST) in Gaithersburg, Maryland. A specialist in neutron interferometry, imaging and experimental quantum mechanics, Arif built major new facilities at NIST’s research reactor, became the forefront leader of the NIST Neutron Physics Group and was promoted to NIST Fellow, the highest scientific grade there: his contemporary NIST Fellows included four Nobel Laureates in Physics.

    Arif's early death in late 2018, urged his close collaborator, Dr. Charles W. Clark, another NIST Fellow and the Chief of Electron and Optical Physics Division, to honor Dr. Arif's excellence and achievements through a conference at University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. He formed the committee for it with Prof. Sultana N. Nahar, known for her work with Bangladesh universities and physicisits, and Prof. Golam Newaz of Mechanical Engierring at Wayne State University, a close friend of Dr. Arif and Dr. Clark, and contributed a fund to a Bangladeshi Charity organization, FCAB, through Prof. Newaz who is affiliated to FCAB. Clark and Newaz contacted Nobel Laureate Eric Corell and two other Bangladeshi American physicisits.

    The plan was to hold an international conference in Dhaka, Bangladesh honoring Dr. Mohammad Arif during February 5-7, 2021. It would feature prominent international physicists who were his personal friends and eminent members of the Bangladeshi diaspora. It would serve to highlight modern physics and its historical roots in Dhaka, and prepare the ground for further international collaboration.

    Formation of "Frontiers of Physics for advances in Science and Education in Bangladesh", 2020
    Sultana involved University of Dhaka and a number of other universities for holding the conference in 2021 and suggested the conference to be held with annual BPS conference for the maximum participation. The work with Bangladesh Physical Society (BPS) and about dozon of univerties and institutions in Bangladesh led to formation of a collaborative partnership and needed a program to achieve the goals.
    - To fulfill the required objecitves of the conference, including support for participating students, the fund needed exceeded to that was expected from Clark. She applied to Moore Foundation under American Physical Society for a grant that would cover the conference expenses and support students participation. However, the foundation found the breadth of the physics covered in the conference too wide for it to support. BPS came forward to support within its budget and Bangladesh Academy of Sciences also indicated some fund if needed.
    - The collaborative work led by Sultana with BPS and universities in Bangladesh and support of Clark evolved into foundation of the first US+Bangladesh collaborative program "Frontiers of Physics" (name suggested by Dr. Clark) for advances in Science and Education in Bangladesh.

  • Initiation of Frontiers of Physics conference, February 5-7, 2021

    The US team of speakers, Charles, and Sultana joined BPS under the name Frontiers of Physics to partner the conferences
    - The plan was revised due to COVID-19 pandemic during 2020 and 2021. A virtual 3-days conference, each day reduced to 4 hours, was arranged in partnership with Bangladesh Physical Society and University of Dhaka was arranged. It is expected to hold the original conference in-person in 2022.


    COMMITTEE MEMBERS & CONTACTS:

  • ADMINISTRATION AND US ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS:


  • Dr. Charles W. Clark (Proposed the program for Bangladesh)
    Ex-Chief, Electron and Optical Physics Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, USA
    Email: charles.clark@nist.gov, Phone: (301) 975-3709
  • Prof. Sultana N. Nahar (Founded FOP with C. Clark and is the Liaison between US and Bangladesh universities)
    Department of Astronomy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
    Email: nahar.1@osu.edu, Phone: 614-292-1888
  • Prof. Golam Newaz (Financial coordinator and liasion to charity foundation, FCAB)
    Mechanical Engineering, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 43202, USA
    Email: ad5874@wayne.edu, Phone: 313-577-3877

  • MOA for Dr. Clark's donation to FCAB for science in Bangladesh

  • US COMMITTEE MEMBERS:

  • Dr. Charles W. Clark
    Electron & Optical Physics Division, NIST, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, USA
    Email: charles.clark@nist.gov, Phone: (301) 975-3709

  • Prof. Sultana N. Nahar
    Department of Astronomy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
    Email: nahar.1@osu.edu, Phone: 614-292-1888

  • Prof. Eric Cornell, Nobel Laureate and JILA Fellow
    JILA CB 440, University of Colorado Boulder, CO 80309-0440, USA
    Email: cornell@jila.colorado.edu, Tel: (303) 492-6281

  • Prof. K. A. Muttalib
    Department of Physics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-8440, USA
    Email: muttalib@phys.ufl.edu, Telephone: 352/392-6699

  • Prof. Akbar, Sheikh
    Materials Science and Engineering, Advanced Materials Building
    140 W 19th Ave Columbus, OH 43210-1110, USA
    Email: akbar.1@osu.edu, Tel: (614) 292-6725

  • Prof. Anil K Pradhan
    Department of Astronomy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
    Email: pradhan.1@osu.edu, Phone: 614-292-5850

  • Prof. M. Zahid Hasan
    Eugene Higgins Professor of Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
    Email: mzhasan@Princeton.EDU, Phoen: 609-258-3044

  • Prof. Muhammad Azadul Islam
    Professor Emeritus, Department of Physics, State University of New York, Potsdam, NY 13676, USA
    Email: azadul51@hotmail.com

  • Porf Mohammad Karim
    PROFESSOR, ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING, UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS DARTMOUTH, Dartmouth, Massachusetts
    Email mkarim@umassd.edu, Tel: 508-999-8434

  • Prof. Sultana Ahmed Khan (Jewella)
    Professor Emeritus of Physics, Department of Chemistry and Physics, Ex-Director of KHAN Planetarium, Elizabeth City State University 1704 Weeksville Road, Elizabeth City, NC 27909
    Email: sakhan2@ecsu.edu, jewella5161982@gmail.com, Cell: (919)723-7363

  • Prof. Mohammad A. Islam
    Chair, Department of Physcs, State University of New York (SUNY), Oswego, NY 13126
    Email: mohammad.islam@oswego.edu, Tel: 315-312-2878, 315-312-2388

  • Dr. M. Shamsuzzoha Basunia
    Staff Scientist, Nuclear Science Division, MS 88, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
    Email: sbasunia@lbl.gov, sbasunia@hotmail.com, Tel: 510 486 7648

  • STUDENT MEMBERS:

  • Mohammad Shamim Reza
    Ph.D. student, Materials Science Engineering and Commercialization, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX
    Email: shamim.reza@txstate.edu, Tel: 5029369080

  • Didarul Alam
    Graduate Research Assistant, Physics, University of Central Florida, Florida, USA
    Email: dalam@knights.ucf.edu, Tel: 3219480826

    COMMITTEE MEMBERS IN BANGLADESH:

  • Participating universities/organizations:

  • University of Dhaka

  • Bangladesh Physical Society

  • Bangladesh Accreditation Council

  • Bangladesh Astronomical Society

  • Barisal University, Barisal

  • Bose Institue, Dhaka

  • Brac University, Dhaka

  • University of Chittagong, Chittagong

  • Jagannath University, Dhaka

  • Jahangirnagar University, Savar

  • Pabna University of Science and Technology, Pabna

  • Univerity of Rajshahi, Rajshahi

  • Shah Jalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet

    BANGLADESH ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS:

  • University of Dhaka

  • Department of Physics

    - Prof. A.B.M. Obaidul Islam, Ex-Chair of Department of Physics Email: obaid@du.ac.bd
    - Prof. Ishtiaque M. Syed Email: imsyed@du.ac.bd, ishtiaque75@gmail.com
    - Prof. Golam Dastegir Al-Quaderi Email: dastegir@du.ac.bd
    - Prof. Talal Ahmed Chowdhury Email: talal@du.ac.bd

  • Department of Biomedical Physics and Technology

    - Prof. K Siddique-e Rabbani, Founder of Biomedical Physics and Technology Department Email: ksrabbani@gmail.com
    - Dr. Muhammad Abdul Kadir, Email: kadir@du.ac.bd
    - Dr. Zaid bin Mahbub, Email: zaidbin@gmail.com
    - Professor Abu Sayem Karal, Email: asayem221@phys.buet.ac.bd

  • Bangladesh Physical Society

    - Prof. Mesbahuddin Ahmed, President, Email: netproj2003@yahoo.com
    - Dr. Nazrul Khan, General Secretary, Bangladesh Physical Society

  • Bangladesh Accreditation Council

    - Prof. Mesbahuddin Ahmed, Director, Email: netproj2003@yahoo.com

  • Bagnladesh Astronomical Society

    - Prof. Farseem Mohamedy, BAS Joint Secretary, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET)

  • Bagnladesh Atomic Energy Commission, Atomic Energy Center, Dhaka

    - Dr. Nazrul Islam Khan, Chief Scientific Officer, Materials Science Division, Atomic Energy Centre, Dhaka, Email: ni_khan77@baec.gov.bd
    - Dr. Harinarayan Das, Principal Scientific Officer, Materials Science Division, Atomic Energy Centre, Dhaka, Email: hn_das@baec.gov.bd

  • Barisal University

    - Prof Rahima Nasrin, Physics Chair

  • Brac University
    - Prof. A.F.M. Yusuf Haider, Physics Chair, Email: yuhaider@gmail.com

  • Chittagong University
  • Department of Physics

    - Prof Dr Rezaul Azim Email: rezaulazim@cu.ac.bd
    - Prof Mohammad Idris Miah Email: m.miah@griffith.edu.au, m.idrish.miah@cu.ac.bd, idrish_physics@yahoo.com
    - Prof. Md. Rafiqul Islam, BPS Executive member, Email: mrafiqulislam_cu@yahoo.com

  • Jagannath University
  • Department of Physics

    - Prof. Md. Kamrul Alam Khan, Physics Dept and Director of Institutional Quality Assurance Cell
    - Prof. Ain-ul Huda, Physics Chair, and Additional Director of IQAC

  • Jahangirnagar University

    - Prof. A A Mamun, Physics Department
    - Prof. Jahirul Islam Khandaker, Physics Department
    - Prof. Tahmina Ferdous, Chair, Department of Physics

  • Pabna University of Science and Technology

    - Prof. Pretam K. Das, Chair, Department of Physics Email: pretampust@gmail.com

  • Rajshahi University

    - Prof. Abdullah Shams Bin Tariq, Physics Department
    - Prof. AK Fazlul Haque, Physics Department
    - Prof. Arun Basak, Physics Department
    - Prof. Azharul Islam, Physics Department
    - Prof. Saleh Naqib, Physics Department

  • Shahjalal University of Science and Technology

    - Prof. Shumsun Nahar Begum, Physics Chair
    - Prof. Sharif . M. Sharafuddin
    - Prof. Syed Badiuzzaman Faruque


     OPPORTUNITIES/ USEFUL INFORMATION:

  • Membership application form, Banlgadesh Physical Society (BPS)

  • APS APS and how to become a free member of American Physical Society (APS), EducationUSA session, Oct 21, 2021

  • Various Educational and Researh Programs under US initiatives for Bangladeshi students and researchers

  • "EducationUSA Study in the USA: Navigating the Admissions Process", Muhammad Sohel Iqbal, EducationUSA Director, US Embassy, Dhaka, International e-Conference on Physics, Feb 5-7. 2021

  • Information on application to US universities, S.N. Nahar, International e-Conference on Physics, Feb 5-7. 2021


    FOP PRIZES FOR STUDENTS:

  • FOP prizes for students presentations at annual BPS conference

  • In 2022, FOP has introduced 4 student prizes for presentations at the annual conference of Bangladesh Physical Soceity (BPS). The prizes are based on quality of research being presented and skill on presentation. Top presenters, one male and one female, from each category of poster and oral will be selected by judging committee.

  • Each student will receive a certificate of achievement from the President of BPS and an honorarium. Amount of Honoraria will depend on the fund available from the profit of the endowment.

  • The prizes started to be distributed in 2022 BPS conference.

  • MOA of guidelines of the prizes

  • Endowment for the prizes and fund for 2022 prizes as received by BPS President Prof. Mesbah Ahmed

    - In 2022, four studenti presenters received the first FOP prizes for their presentations at the BPS conference in 2022: Note that the journal ATOMS of MDPI also contributed to the prize honorarium, BPS put only ATOMS's name in the certificates. The student winners are:

    Oral: Male: Abdul Mannan, - Female: M.N.A. Bitu

    Poster: Male: M.S. Munir, - Female: Raisa Nawar Saleh


    CONFERENCES:

  • 2022:

  • FOP collaborated with BPS at the annual meeting of BPS where both Dr. Clark and Prof. Nahar served in the Advisory Committee. The meeting was held in Dhaka, Bangladesh during May 19-21, 2022
  • In collaboration with EducationUSA and US Embassy in Dhaka, they organized Session X "US-Bangladesh Education Collaboration Program" (p.22 in Book of Abstracts) at the conference, "programme, sessopm X (p.13 in program book), largely to provide scopes and opportunities in education and research between US and Bangladesh

  • BPS invited them presentations. Dr. Clark delivered the scientific findings on the Moon.
    Title: "Graduate admissions and importance of research", Sultana N. Nahar - Invitation letter of BPS for Sultana at the US-Bangladesh Collaboration Program session,
  • Both Dr. Charles W. Clark and Prof. Sultana N Nahar were recognized with BPS crests for their work for US-Bangladesh collaboration for education and research by BPS at the Annual BPS conference, May 2022
  • Charles received the honorary crest from BPS at the special symposium honoring his lifetime contributions handed over by Sultana on December 2, 2022

  • FOP students presentation prizes were distributed


  • 2021:

  • International e-Conference on Physics, Feb 5-7, 2021

  • The international conference of Frontiers of Physics in partnership with University of Dhaka and Bangladesh Physical Society was held during February 5-7, 2021
    - Poster, - Flyer, - Program, - The Book of Abstracts

    Keynote and US speakers:

  •  Nobel laureate Dr. Eric Cornell at University of Colarado and NIST, will deliver the main public keynote speech at the Frontiers of Physics conference.
  • Talk title: "A Century of Bose Statistics, Including a Quarter-Century of Bose-Einstein Condensation"

  • Prof. Anil Pradhan, Department of Astronomy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
  • Talk title: "Spectroscopic modeling of stellar-exoplanetary systems"

  • Dr. Charles Clark, Chief of Electron and Optical Physics Division, NIST, Gaitherburgh, Maryland
  • Talk title: "Neutron scatteirng spectroscopy"

  • Prof. Khandker Muttalib, Department of Physics, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
  • Talk title: "Recent progress in thermoelectricity: Green energy for future''

  • Prof. M. Zahid Hasan, Eugene Higgins Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey
  • Talk title: “Topological Quantum Matter”

  • Prof. Sheikh Akbar, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
  • Talk title: "Ceramic Nano-heterostructures by Materials Design: Platforms for Sensing and Biomedical Applications"

  • Prof. Sultana N Nahar, Professor of Astronomy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
  • Talk title: ""Gravitational waves, merger of neutron stars, black holes, and heavy elements"

    PRESENTATIONS:

  • 2021 Conference on Physics

  • Prof. Sheikh Akbar, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
  • " Ceramic Nano-heterostructures by Materials Design: Platforms for Sensing and Biomedical Applications"


    ACTIVITIES:

  • 2021:

  • August 25, 2021: EducationUSA of the US Embassy in Dhaka featured OSU in the program "Admission ADDA with the Ohio State University" for the prospective students and researchers of Bangladesh through an online zoom platform and streaming through facebook at US Embassy in Dhaka of Bangladesh. The program was Organized and hosted by Sultana Nahar at EduUSA's invitation. It discussed the common intererested items of FOP and the program on the admission in US universites, resources and funding, advenced research, study experience of students, and student activities.
    - Video of the program posted at EducationUSA "Admission Adda with the Ohio State University"


  • August 13, 2021: Meeting between Sultana and Charles, OSU


    - Discussed i) 2nd US-Bangladesh conference in 2022 - in-person(!), speakerks, time, ii) MOA agreement between NIST and Bangladesh Physics - possibility of summer school training, collaborative visits, continuty of the conference etc


  • Six BPS-DU-FOP meetings were held during January-February, 2021 for the organization of the 2021 Conference:. Followings are some snapshots from the meetings


    REPORTS & IMPACT:

    2022:

  • The US-Bangladesh Collaboration session organized by FOP was highly successful as audience could interact and find out the information on educational and research scopes for students and researchers in Bangladesh


    2021:

  • The first US+Bangladesh conference, Feb 5-7, 2021

    It was a unique confernece in several ways and had highly positive impact.
    - It was participated by seven US physicisit speakers, including one Nobel Laureate, and seven Bangladesh physicist speakers.
    - It was inaugurated by the President of BPS Prof. Mesbahuddin Ahmed, Education Minister of Bangladesh Dr. Dipu Moni, and FOP founders Charles Clark and Sultana Nahar
    - The welcome and support by the US Ambassador in Bangladesh, Earl Miller. was also a first time participation by a US Ambassador for a Physics conference in Bangladesh.
    - A first time introduction of a session on EducationUSA, as presented by the Director, Iqbal Sobel, at US Embassy in Dhaka, and added information on adimission and collaboration by Charles Clark and Sultana Nahar.
    - BPS organized the virtual conference on zoom for 500 participants and live stream free from BPS facebook along with 8 other facebook accounts for the first time.
    - The 3-day conference had thousands of viewers, the largest number of participation, about 10,000 (combined zoom and facebook stream attendance), for first time for a Physics conference in Bangladesh.
    - Bangladesh participants were joined internationally by those from Germany, Japan, India, Ireland, Malaysia, Pakistan, Turkey, USA (information based from Facbooks attendance and filled out registration forms).


    MEDIA/NEWS:

  • Online: "The first US+Bangladesh conference was held in 2021", July/August APS News, Vol 30, No. 7, p.3 (2021)
    - See p.3,7 in the Full APS newsletter, Vol 30, No. 7 (2021)

  • "Nahar organizes first US and Bangladesh physics conference", in section "This Week in Recognition", OSU news "Around the Oval, This week in the College of Arts and Sciences", Feb. 24, 2021

  • BPS: Announcement of the Fellowship for Eric Cornell, Charles Clark, Sultana N. Nahar, M. Zahid Hasan, by BPS President Prof. Mesbahuddin Ahmed at the Concluding session. Feb 7, 2021



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