CHTM Director, Professor Arash Mafi Named Interim Dean of Arts and Sciences

June 8, 2021 - CHTM

It is with great pride that we learn our Director, Arash Mafi, Professor of Physics and Astronomy has been selected to serve as the Interim Dean of Arts and Sciences, effective July 1, 2021. Professor Mafi has been one of UNM’s most successful researchers.  His research team undertakes cutting-edge research in photonics, focusing especially on nonlinear and quantum aspects of guided-wave optics.  Guided-wave optics, in forms including optical fibers and plasmonic and silicon nano-waveguides, constitute the fundamental platform in device applications in photonics.  Dr. Mafi’s work on using disorder to actually sharpen images transmitted by optical fibers was named one of the top 10 breakthroughs in physics in 2014.  It was one of the first practical applications of the physical phenomenon of Anderson Localization known since the 1950s.  Dr. Mafi is a Fellow of the Optical Society of America, a Fellow of the International Society for Optics and Photonics, a Senior Member of IEEE, a Life Member of APS, and a member of AAAS.  He received the NSF CAREER Award in 2013.  Dr. Mafi's research has resulted in 95 peer-reviewed journal publications and 124 conference publications and abstracts.  Professor Mafi has also served as the Chair of UNM’s interdisciplinary Optical Science and Engineering graduate program.  Dr. Mafi will serve in the interim role for about a year, while we conduct a search for the next dean of Arts & Sciences.