Mohammed Nurul Afsar, professor and former chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, died on June 26. He was 76.
Prof Afsar breathed his last on June 26 at Mass General Hospital and was buried at The Gardens Cemetery on 670 Baker Street, West Roxbury, Massachusetts the same day.
Kyongbum Lee, Karol Family Professor and dean of the School of Engineering said in a message to the community that Afsar“made notable contributions to the field of electrical engineering through his dedication to research and education. He will be deeply missed.”
Throughout his career, Afsar made significant advancements in the field of precision measurement techniques and instrumentation for microwave, millimetre, terahertz, and submillimeter wave frequencies, Lee said.
He also conducted theoretical studies on various materials, including polymeric, glassy, amorphous, and chemical vapour deposition-grown materials, ceramic and semiconductor materials, thin films, liquids and fluids, and electronic, biological, and magnetic materials.
Prof Afsar, son of the late Dr Ahmed Subhan, was born in Mirsarai, Chattogram.
Afsar received BS and MS in physics from the University of Dhaka in Bangladesh, an MSEE in microwaves and quantum electronics from University College London, and a PhD in experimental physics from the University of London.
He worked at the National Physical Laboratory outside of London from 1974 to 1978, then came to the US as a senior scientist at MIT Francis Bitter National Magnet Laboratory from 1978 to 1984. He taught at City College of New York for three years, then, moved to Tufts in 1987 as a professor of electrical engineering. He was chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering from 2004 to 2006.
Afsar’s professional achievements were recognised by various prestigious organisations. In 2014, he was named an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Life Fellow in recognition of his contributions to the development of measurement techniques for the determination of complex dielectric and optical parameters of solids, liquid, and gaseous materials at millimetre frequencies and above.
He also held the title of Chartered Engineer in England and was elected as a fellow of the Institution of Electrical Engineers, London, in 1986. Additionally, he was a chartered physicist and a fellow of the Institute of Physics, London.
Afser published his research widely. His most recent paper, co-authored with Valencia Koomson, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, and Wei Quan, EG14,
EG21, was “Hexagonal Nano-ferrites used on a V-band Self-bias On-chip Circulator for CMOS” from 2022.
Among the classes he taught at Tufts was Introduction to Microwaves, Microwave Semiconductor Devices, Computer-Aided Design of Microwave Circuits, Microwave Integrated Circuits, and Microwave System Engineering.
“The loss of Professor Afsar leaves a significant void in the hearts of his colleagues, students, and the academic community as a whole,” said Lee. “We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and all those whose lives he touched during his remarkable career. His legacy will continue to inspire future generations of researchers and engineers.”
The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering will offer a memorial service for Afser; details will be shared when they are finalised.
The PHP family and Islamic Cultural Center expressed profound shock and sorrow at the demise of Prof Afsar. They also prayed for the salvation and eternal peace of his departed soul and conveyed sympathy to the bereaved family.
