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Longtime professor Anup Sharma retires after 34 years at Alabama A&M
Sharma concludes a three-decade tenure that helped elevate Alabama A&M University’s physics program and guide generations of students.
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Staff Reporter - Fri, 15, May 2026
- 17:53 EDT
- 143
Anup Sharma / Alabama A&M University
Anup Sharma, an Indian-origin physicist who spent more than three decades teaching and conducting research at Alabama A&M University, is stepping down the university announced on May 14.
His retirement concludes a 34-year academic career marked by contributions to scientific research, student mentorship, and the growth of the university’s physics program.
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Sharma joined Alabama A&M in 1992 as a visiting researcher and later became a permanent faculty member in the Department of Physics. Over the course of his tenure, he played a key role in expanding the university’s academic and research profile in the physical sciences while mentoring graduate and undergraduate students.
At Alabama A&M, Sharma taught 24 undergraduate and graduate courses and developed four new physics courses. He also served as the principal advisor to 12 doctoral students and 12 master’s students, many of whom have gone on to careers in academia, federal laboratories, and industry.
Reflecting on his teaching career, Sharma said student engagement remained one of the most rewarding aspects of his work.
“The best part was hearing from students at the end of semesters that physics is more fun and less intimidating than they had imagined,” Sharma said. “It is very satisfying to see several of my MS and PhD students now occupy responsible positions as tenured professors, scientists and managers in federal laboratories and industries.”
Originally from Jhansi, Sharma completed his undergraduate studies in physics at University of Mumbai and earned a master’s degree from Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur before moving to the United States in 1977 for doctoral studies. He pursued his Ph.D. at Columbia University and continued his research at Princeton University, where he completed his doctoral work.
His research focused on laser physics, spectroscopy, chemical sensing, and fiber optics. Sharma served as principal investigator or co-principal investigator on nearly 30 grants and contracts funded by agencies including National Science Foundation, NASA, and the U.S. Departments of Defense, Energy, and Homeland Security. In 1997, he received the National Science Foundation CAREER Award for his work in fiber optics.
Sharma has authored approximately 60 peer-reviewed research papers and, in recent years, expanded his academic interests to theoretical biology, studying the molecular asymmetry of amino acids in living organisms.
Before joining Alabama A&M, Sharma held academic and research appointments at the Max Planck Institute in Germany, Texas A&M University, and India’s Bhabha Atomic Research Centre.
In retirement, Sharma said he intends to devote more time to writing poetry, an interest he developed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although retired from full-time teaching, he said he plans to maintain ties with Alabama A&M and attend major university events.
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