8th February 2025
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U.S.-based physicist Tino Nyawelo wins societal impact scholar award

Author: Chany Ninrew | Published: February 5, 2025

Tino Nyawelo. (Courtesy).

South Sudanese physicist Tino Nyawelo is among five faculty members named by President of the University of Utah as 2025-26 Presidential Societal Impact Scholars for exemplary public engagement.

Nyawelo, a Professor of Physics and Astronomy, has been recognized for achievements including eliminating health inequalities to helping communities plan and prepare for disasters and mentoring STEM education students.

Other winners are David Wetter – professor of population health sciences and adjunct professor of psychology; Matthew Basso, associate professor, gender studies and history; and Divya Chandrasekhar, associate professor, department of city and metropolitan planning; and Sameer Rao, Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering.

“As Presidential Societal Impact Scholars, these exceptional faculty demonstrate how public engagement and scholarship can have a broad impact on the world around us,” said President Taylor Randall.

“As one of the nation’s leading research universities, we aim to improve the communities we serve by sharing our research and expertise in meaningful ways. The recipients of this award embody this mission, translating their work into efforts that not only shape their fields but also positively transform society.”

Each scholar will receive a one-time cash award of $10,000 and support from University Marketing & Communications to promote their research, scholarship and initiatives.

To be considered, the faculty member’s area of focus must address a major societal issue, such as physical health and well-being, mental illness, poverty, the housing crisis, and an environmental problem.

Nyawelo, the founder of REFUGES program, won the 2023 Spirit of Salam Award in recognition of his work to promote the development of science and technology in disadvantaged parts of the world.

He first completed a bachelor’s degree in physics from the Sudan University of Science and Technology in Khartoum, Sudan and was appointed as a teaching assistant.

He then left the country in 1997 to complete a postgraduate program in Italy, and completed his PhD in 2004.

In 2020, the National Science Foundation awarded Nyawelo and collaborators more than one million US dollars to study how refugee teenagers construct self-identities related to science STEM across settings.

 

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