African Physics Newsletter
The African Physics Newsletter (APN) is a quarterly, electronic publication about physics in Africa as gathered and reported by an Editorial Board of African physicists representing various regions of the continent. APS has published the newsletter, which launched in 2019, since its inception.
The newsletter is available free of charge and open to all.
The articles and opinion pieces found in this issue of the African Physics Newsletter are not peer reviewed and represent solely the views of the authors and not necessarily the views of APS.
November 2024 issue
In this issue of the African Physics Newsletter, learn more about the formation of the Mozambican Astronomical Society, one individual's journey to a career in geophysics, spectroscopy research at Cairo University, and more.
Recent issues
Read about the achievements, research, career journeys, and more of physicists living and working across African and beyond.
In this issue of the African Physics Newsletter, learn more about the African Astronomical Society, celebrate the success of Science and Technology Week, discover the African Physics Leaders Summit, and more.
In this issue of the African Physics Newsletter, discover research on the East African Nubian Shield's potential for gold mineralization, Morocco's strategic approaches to energy transition, the career journey of a Kenyan physicist, and more.
From Editor Stéphane Kenmoe: "In this issue, we bring you the latest developments in the physical sciences within Africa and the Diaspora. The news is marked by major capacity-building and networking events, honors for development actors, and breakthroughs in cutting-edge fields. This issue is a tribune of opportunity, visions, and scientific strategies for sustainable development grounded in physics, with the aim of inspiring research and exemplary leadership."
Discover perspectives and updates from physicists in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Botswana, Egypt, Somalia, and more, and read discussions on the African School of Physics, Genius in Africa, and the Women in Nuclear Global Excellence Award. This issue also includes an interview with Nature Africa, information about research collaboratives in solar energy, and more.
Past issues
Review previous issues of the newsletter, going back to February 2019.
About the African Physics Newsletter
The newsletter was created in response to physicists and physics institutions across the continent who expressed an interest in a Pan-African physics communication vehicle to foster connections among physicists residing in Africa, diaspora communities and the broader physics community. Surveys conducted by the Physics in Africa project—an undertaking of APS, UK Institute of Physics, European Physical Society, International Centre for Theoretical Physics, and South African Institute of Physics—revealed this need as gaps in communication can often exist among these communities.
Meet APN Editor-in-Chief Stéphane Kenmoe, PhD
Kenmoe is a researcher at the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany. He earned a PhD from the Max Planck Institute for Iron Research in Germany (2015). Kenmoe earned his postgraduate diploma in condensed matter from the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics in 2011 and a master's degree from the University of Dschang in Cameroon in 2009. Dedicated to advancing the careers of early-career African scientists, he actively engages in networking initiatives and promotes knowledge transfer to Africa.
APN Editor-in-Chief featured in Nature Reviews Physics
Stéphane Kenmoe, editor-in-chief, sits down with Nature Reviews Physics for a Q&A about the ways that APN is bringing together physicists in Africa and from the African diaspora while showcasing African physics worldwide.
APN Editorial Board
The APN editorial board members consist of African physicists serving as professors, researchers, lecturers, and physics community leaders.
El Ghazi leads a research group at ENSAM Laboratory, focusing on low-dimensional III-nitride semiconductors for solar cells and LASER biomedical applications.
Abdel-Harith is a professor at the National Institute of Laser Enhanced Science (NILES), Cairo University, Egypt.
Currently a lecturer at Covenant University, Jolayemi actively engages in screening materials for thermoelectric applications.
Mounia Laassiri is a nuclear and particle physicist at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) in the USA, where she works as a postdoctoral researcher, specializing in testing the ATLAS strip tracker upgrade (ITk) for the ATLAS Experiment and contributing to the organization and management of the African School of Physics (ASP).
Malu is a physicist by training, author-publisher, and promoter of Science and Technology Week in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DCR).
Mulwa has served as a principal investigator at the Centre for High Performance Computing (CHPC) in South Africa since 2018.
Musembi is an associate professor at the University of Nairobi's department of physics, focusing on condensed matter physics.
Usman's research encompasses experimental nuclear structure physics, environmental radiation physics, nuclear materials, and nuclear security and forensics.
APN Advisory Board
The APN advisory board members have served at universities and laboratories around the world.
Assamagan, a physicist at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), originally from Togo, is known for his significant contributions to the ATLAS Experiment.
Igle Gledhill, a visiting adjunct professor at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, boasts a distinguished career in fluid dynamics spanning 30 years at the CSIR.
Gubernatis's research encompassed diverse areas, including nondestructive evaluation, quantum Monte Carlo methods, and the application of machine learning for materials discovery.
Mtingwa, a principal partner at TriSEED Consultants, LLC and administrative judge at the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, is a distinguished physicist and advocate for STEM opportunities.
Niemela served as a key staff member at the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Trieste, Italy, from 2003 to 2016, where he headed various impactful initiatives.
Daniel Nyanganyura is an accomplished atmospheric physicist specializing in boundary layer physics and air pollutants transport modeling.
Ahmadou Wagué works at Dakar Cheikh Anta Diop University, Senegal, and serves on the African Physics Newsletter Advisory Board.