Chittagong native Samin Noor wins US national award

Chittagong native Mohammad Samin Noor Chowdhury has won the 2026 ‘Outstanding Student Research Award’ from the US-based Neutron Scattering Society of America for his contributions to neutron imaging research.

A doctoral student in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Purdue University, Indiana, Samin Noor’s achievement is being celebrated as a testament to Bangladesh’s talent on the global stage.

Family sources said the award recognizes his development of statistical algorithms and advanced three-dimensional strain mapping techniques that accelerate hyperspectral neutron computed tomography (Neutron CT). His research enables finer, more detailed images from neutron-based scans, opening new possibilities for analyzing the internal behavior of materials under pressure.

Experts note that neutron imaging is a cutting-edge technology that reveals the inside of objects in ways conventional imaging cannot. Samin Noor’s innovations make this technology faster, more efficient, and more accurate, benefiting advanced manufacturing, engineering, and physics research.

Samin Noor expressed that the award is meaningful because it honors work with practical applications. He thanked his advisors, Professor Charles Bauman, Professor Gregory Buzzard, and colleagues at Oak Ridge National Laboratory for their guidance.

The award is presented at the biennial American Conference on Neutron Scattering, which will be held in Detroit, USA, from July 12 to 16, 2026. Samin Noor will formally receive the award, deliver a speech, and receive a $1,000 honorarium, a commemorative plaque, and a travel grant.

Samin Noor is the eldest son of Dr. Md. Nurul Amin Chowdhury, a prominent cardiologist, and Tahmina Parveen. His paternal grandfather was the late Amir Hamza Chowdhury of Mansa village, Patia, Chittagong, and his maternal grandfather, the late AK Mahmudul Haque, was a renowned educationist and founder of Chittagong Ideal High School and College.

Samin Noor completed his SSC from Ispahani Public School and College in 2008, HSC from Chittagong College in 2010, and later earned his bachelor’s degree from BUET.