Postdoctoral Fellow Tomojit Chowdhury Wins 2024 ACS PHYS Young Investigator Award
The University of Chicago Department of Chemistry is proud to announce that postdoctoral fellow Tomojit Chowdhury has been awarded the 2024 ACS PHYS Young Investigator Award. The award recognizes the recipients’ contributions to the field of physical chemistry research at an early stage in their careers.
Chowdhury is currently a Kadanoff-Rice Postdoctoral fellow working in the Jiwoong Park Group.
Born and raised in India, Tomojit Chowdhury obtained his undergraduate degrees (BSc+MSc’15) as an INSPIRE scholar, followed by a PhD in Chemistry from the Johns Hopkins University as an Ernest M. Marks graduate fellow. In summer 2021, he moved to UChicago to carry on his postdoctoral research as an NSF-MRSEC Kadanoff-Rice postdoctoral fellow.
We asked Dr. Chowdhury a few questions in response to the exciting news:
What does this ACS award mean to you?
Winning the ACS Young Investigator Award (YIA) marks a significant career milestone, affirming that the scientific community recognizes and values my contributions. This award not only honors my past achievements but also motivates me to continue pushing the boundaries of scientific knowledge. It inspires me to carry on ambitious research with a positive impact on society.
What does this award tell you about the direction of your research?
ACS YIA is a testament to the relevance and significance of my research trajectory. It signifies that my work not only breaks new ground in scientific inquiry but also extends its implications beyond the field of chemistry, into areas such as condensed matter physics or materials engineering. This recognition boosts my confidence in my research direction, inspiring me to explore interdisciplinary areas that can drive scientific discoveries and technological innovation.
Where do you see your research going next? Is there anything you're currently working on that you're excited about that you can share?
Looking ahead, I envision my research evolving in several exciting directions. Building on the foundation laid by my postdoctoral work, I am particularly excited about the photo physics of large-scale atomically thin platforms made of discrete organic molecules. This project holds promise for providing creative solutions to outstanding questions in solid state crystalline materials, with potential applications in optoelectronic and quantum devices. Additionally, I am keen on fostering interdisciplinary collaborations that can leverage insights from other fields to address complex and multi-faceted scientific challenges. Ultimately, my goal is to conduct research that not only deepens fundamental knowledge but also translates into tangible solutions with real-world impact.