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UNC Charlotte renames physics department in honor of Ishwar Aggarwal
The naming marks the first time a sitting professor has endowed an academic department at UNC Charlotte.
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Bhavana P - Mon, 10, Aug 2026
- 14:08 EDT
- 32
Ishwar Aggarwal with the new departmental signage in Grigg Hall. / University of North Carolina at Charlotte
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte has renamed its Department of Physics and Optical Science in honor of longtime faculty member Ishwar Aggarwal.
This follows a gift from Aggarwal and his wife, Shail, which will support doctoral students and strengthen the department’s research capacity, including scholarships for students.
The university said the naming marks the first time a sitting professor has endowed an academic department at UNC Charlotte.
Also read: Indian theoretical physicist awarded prestigious 2026 Dirac Medal
University officials said the naming will also help attract faculty, expand research opportunities and raise UNC Charlotte’s profile in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
During a ceremony marking the department’s renaming, chancellor Sharon L. Gaber described the gift as a significant milestone for the university. Provost Jennifer Troyer said Aggarwal’s support reflected his longstanding commitment to the department’s teaching, research and innovation.
Aggarwal, whose career has spanned more than five decades, credited teamwork and collaboration for many of his professional achievements. He said his family’s emphasis on education and the scholarships he received throughout his own education influenced the decision to support students through the family’s gift.
“At UNC Charlotte, I wanted to bring the ideas of teams with two or three professors working together. Everybody shared their thoughts and their inventions, openly. You take one invention and add another idea in science and make something where it becomes much, much better. You can take a pot and a handle, and when you put them together, it becomes a bucket,” Aggarwal said in a statement.
Department chair Glenn Boreman said Aggarwal’s leadership, scholarship and work in optics had elevated the department and expanded its research capabilities.
“Ish’s leadership, scholarship and relentless pursuit of innovation have elevated our department and expanded the boundaries of what is possible in optics. Naming this department in his honor recognizes not only his remarkable career, but also the legacy he continues to build through mentorship, discovery and innovation,” Boreman said.
Aggarwal joined UNC Charlotte in 2011 after a career in industry and at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. At the university, he established the Ultra High Energy Laser Optics program. He was also the university’s first professor to be named a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors.
A pioneer in optical materials and devices, Aggarwal has 104 U.S. patents and more than 500 peer-reviewed publications.
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