Nabin Malakar, Ph.D., associate professor in the department of Earth, Environment, and Physics, is one of two faculty from Worcester State University’s School of Science, Technology, and Health to be awarded a 2023 Fulbright Specialist Award. The award will enable Malakar to train researchers in Nepal on the use of low-cost sensors, remote sensing techniques, model development, data analysis, and the art of communicating research and to organize a series of workshops at the Kathmandu Institute of Applied Sciences.
Malakar, an expert in practical applications of environmental observations focusing on air pollution and urban heat island phenomena, is expected to make a significant contribution to the field of environmental science.
“I am honored to have been awarded a Fulbright Specialist award,” said Malakar. “This is a great opportunity to share my expertise with the community and collaborate with scientists.”
The workshops are expected to have a significant impact on the field of environmental science in Nepal. They will help Nepali researchers to develop the skills and knowledge they need to conduct cutting-edge research on air pollution. This research will help to raise awareness about the status of air quality in Nepal and provide insights to protect the health of its citizens.
Malakar is actively involved in various communities, holding the position of vice president at the Association of Nepali Physicists in America. He also serves on the board of Aldrich Astronomical Society, one of the oldest amateur astronomy clubs in the United States, situated in the heart of Massachusetts. In his spare time, he organizes a variety of public outreach programs as a NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Solar System Ambassador.
Margaret Kerr, Ph.D., professor of chemistry, who received a Fulbright Specialist Award in 2007, received a second award and will return to Thailand to continue her subject expertise in chemistry.
The Fulbright Scholar Program for academics and professionals awards more than 1,700 fellowships each year, enabling 800 U.S. scholars to go abroad and 900 visiting scholars to come to the United States.
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