Alfred Msezane

Alfred Zakhele Msezane is Professor in the Department of Physics at Clark Atlanta University, and Founding Director of the Center for Theoretical Studies of Physical Systems.^[1] His research is primarily in theoretical atomic physics and condensed matter theory. He also carries out research in mathematical physics, and image processing.^[1]

Early life and Educationr[]

Msezane was born in Springs, South Africa on December 31, 1938.^[2] He attended Thlakula school from grades seven to nine, and graduated from Inkamana high school in 1959.^[3] He obtained his B. Sc and B. Sc (Hons) from the University of South Africa in 1962 and 1964, respectively, studying Physics and Applied Mathematics, and his M. Sc in physics at University of Saskatchewan in 1968.^[1][4] He did research for a year at the Nuclear Physics Research Unit of the Witwatersrand University^[1]. He obtained his Ph. D in physics at the University of Western Ontario in 1973.^[4]

Career[]

After spending a year at the University of Western Ontario learning and implementing Modular Teaching to physics students, Msezane moved to Georgia State University in 1974 for his postdoctoral research. He became a college instructor and researcher at the University of New Brunswick in 1976.^[1] He served as a visiting professor at Louisiana State University from 1978 to 1980, and joined the faculty of Morehouse College as an assistant professor of physics in 1980.^[1] In 1983 Msezane became professor and served as chair of the physics department from 1986 to 1989 at Atlanta University, which was merged with Clark College in 1988 to become Clark Atlanta University.^[1]

Research[]

Msezane has published more than 400 physics research papers and given more than 380 presentations at national and international conferences.^[5] He carries out research in theoretical atomic and molecular physics, mathematical physics, condensed matter physics, and image processing.^[1] Msezane developed a fundamental theory to better understand negative ion formation in complex heavy systems and applied it to negative ion catalysis.^[6]

He is the founding director of the Center for Theoretical Studies of Physical Systems (CTSPS) at Clark Atlanta University, which was established in 1991 through an approximately 5 million dollar grant by the NSF^[7] which was further renewed at the same funding level in 1996.^[8] The center focuses on low-energy scattering theory, solid-state theory, image processing and mathematical physics theory.^[9]

Awards and honors[]

Msezane's awards and honors include:

• 1965:
• 1998: Honorary Doctorate of Science degree from the University of Fort Hare (South Africa)^[10]
• 1999: Fellow of the American Physical Society^[11] and Life Member.
• 1999: Edward A. Bouchet Award^[4] of the American Physical Society
• 2011: Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science^[12]
• 2016: Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry^[13]
• Fellow of the ^[13]
• Fellow of the National Society of Black Physicists^[14]
• 2020: Fellow of the ^[13]

References[]