Anderson Sunda-Meya is a Congolese–American physicist and the Norwood Endowed Professor of Physics at

Xavier University Xavier University ( ) is a private Jesuit university in Cincinnati and Evanston (Cincinnati), Ohio. It is the sixth-oldest Catholic and fourth-oldest Jesuit university in the United States. Xavier has an undergraduate enrollment of 4,860 studen ...

in New Orleans. He also holds the position of Associate Dean. Sunda-Meya was awarded the 2021

American Physical Society The American Physical Society (APS) is a not-for-profit membership organization of professionals in physics and related disciplines, comprising nearly fifty divisions, sections, and other units. Its mission is the advancement and diffusion of k ...

Excellence in Physics Education Award.

Early life and education

Sunda-Meya was born in the

Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...

. He studied at Le Collège Bonsomi, where he majored in maths and physics. He earned a laurea in theology at the

Pontifical Gregorian University The Pontifical Gregorian University ( it, Pontificia Università Gregoriana; also known as the Gregorian or Gregoriana,) is a higher education ecclesiastical school ( pontifical university) located in Rome, Italy. The Gregorian originated as ...

. Sunda-Meya eventually moved to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, where he decided that he wanted to pursue a career in science. He first studied physics at

North Carolina State University North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The universit ...

, where he earned a bachelor's degree in 2001 and a doctorate in 2007. His doctoral research considers the shape and stability of nanostructures during their growth and post-deposition processing. After spending twelve years in

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

, Sunda-Meya moved to

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

, where he was offered a tenure-track position at

Xavier University of Louisiana Xavier University of Louisiana (also known as XULA) is a Private university, private, Historically black colleges and universities, historically black, Roman Catholic, Catholic university in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is the only Catholic HBCU ...

Career

Alongside his research on nanomaterials and their application in electronic devices, Sunda-Meya looks to inspire and mentor physics students. He has been honoured with numerous awards for teaching, including the Norman C. Francis Faculty Excellence Awards for Service and Teaching. Beyond his roles at

, Sunda-Meya directs the Dual Degree Engineering Program and of the Louisiana Engineering Advancement Program. In 2020 Sunda-Meya was elected Associate Dean at

. He was awarded the 2021

Excellence in Physics Education Award. Together with his wife, Doryne Sunda-Meya, Sunda-Meya looks to support communities in Luila Village in the Congo.

Select publications

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sunda-Meya, Anderson American people of Democratic Republic of the Congo descent Xavier University of Louisiana faculty North Carolina State University alumni African-American scientists Pontifical Gregorian University alumni Year of birth missing (living people) Living people 21st-century African-American people African-American physicists