Adib Kabir ’26 recognized as Rossing Physics Scholar

Adib Kabir ’26, a physics, mathematics, and computer science triple major from Bangladesh, has been named one of 13 recipients of the 2025 Thomas D. Rossing Scholarship for Physics Education. This highly competitive award provides scholarships to outstanding students who demonstrate academic excellence and a commitment to the field of physics. The scholarship— valued at up to $10,000—was made possible by generous gifts from Dr. Thomas D. Rossing, who established the fund through the Foundation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

Kabir first learned about the Rossing Physics Scholarship during his first year at Gettysburg College through Physics Chair Bret Crawford. “I learned that it requires a lot of effort, not just in academics but also good research experience and leadership,” Kabir said. “So, I prepared myself for it throughout the years.”

“When I received the news on my birthday; I couldn’t believe it,” he said. “It’s such a competitive award, and when I talked with our previous department chair about it, he said it was very rare for students from liberal arts colleges to receive this fund.”

“I have close ties with the Math and Physics departments. They have guided me toward opportunities that shaped my academic and research goals.”
– Adib Kabir ’26

Throughout his time at Gettysburg, Kabir has pursued an ambitious academic path supported by extensive research experience.

During his first summer, he got the opportunity to work with Crawford as part of the XSIG research fellowship, investigating the energy loss of proton beams passing through thin gold films.

In the following summer, he decided to explore research opportunities beyond Gettysburg College. He was accepted into the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program at Purdue University. There, he worked on developing an ultra-sensitive heat capacity measurement puck for a dilution refrigerator operating below 1.8 K under varying magnetic field strengths. This project lies at the intersection of quantum magnetism and quantum spin liquid materials and motivated him to further explore quantum materials to help create the next generation of quantum devices.

In his third summer, Kabir received an appointment to join Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) through the Pathways to Computing Internship Program (PCIP). There, he worked on analyzing canonical fluid flow problems using a quantum linear solver algorithm. His research at ORNL focused on the intersection of quantum computing and computational fluid dynamics.

 This experience, combined with his previous work at Purdue, helped him recognize the importance of developing fault-tolerant quantum devices by harnessing the unique properties of quantum materials for noise-free quantum computation.

Kabir’s interests focus on the intersection of condensed matter atomic physics, atomic and molecular optics, and quantum information science. He plans to pursue graduate studies in these areas, aiming to improve the accuracy and reliability of quantum computing technologies and reduce the noise in quantum devices to make them more robust. Kabir acknowledges his professors for providing mentorship and academic support that fostered his achievements. “I have close ties with the Math and Physics departments,” he said. “They have guided me toward opportunities that shaped my academic and research goals.”

Looking ahead, Kabir is both grateful for his time at Gettysburg and eager for the opportunities that lie ahead. “I’m a little bit excited because I have always dreamed of going to a bigger school,” he said. “Bigger schools have more research opportunities and funding, and I always wanted to go into those places to take advantage of those opportunities, to push myself beyond my limits and grow wiser.”

For Kabir, Gettysburg has provided the strong foundation he’s needed to reach that next step.

By Awa Diop ’29
Main photo by Alyssa Riegel
Posted: 11/13/25