By Richard LeComte

Sumit R. Das, University research professor of physics and astronomy, has been named to the Jack and Linda Gill Endowed Professorship in the College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Kentucky. UK’s Board of Trustees approved the designation in December, and the appointment takes effect in July. 

The Gill Research Excellence Fund supports the Gill Professorships in Science and Engineering. The deans of the Colleges of Arts & Sciences and Engineering jointly administer the program. Professors are recommended by a committee based on a nomination letter. Das also is a College of Arts & Sciences Distinguished Professor for 2019-20.

“Das has made major contributions in a range of different areas related to the branch of theoretical physics known as string theory, the unified theory of elementary particles and gravity that describes the laws of nature at the most fundamental level,” said Alfred Shapere, chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy, in a nomination letter. 

Das is an elected fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences and has received the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology. Born in Kolkata, India, he holds a doctorate from the University of Chicago. He was a postdoctoral researcher at Fermilab and Caltech before joining the faculty of Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai in 1987. His recent work involves using string-theory methods to study fundamental aspects of quantum gravity and nonequilibrium aspects of quantum systems -- the quantum properties of condensed matter systems.

“Das brought a long list of accomplishments and a high level of international recognition with him when he moved to UK in 2002, and since then has continued to add to those accomplishments at a prodigious rate,” Shapere said. “He has established solid, continuous funding in a highly competitive field, which he has used to support a total of 19 postdoctoral scholars (each for terms ranging from one to three years). Most of these postdocs have gone on to faculty positions at research universities and institutes.”