From left to right: Samiul Nibir, Prof. Amit Bandyopadhyay, Prof. Sahar Vahabzadeh, Prof. Susmita Bose, Prof. Solaiman Tarafder and Hasan Rafsan Jani

One of the most rewarding aspects of attending the Materials Science & Technology (MS&T) 2025 Annual Meeting in Columbus, Ohio, was the opportunity for Dr. Tarafder to reconnect with his PhD advisors, Prof. Susmita Bose and Prof. Amit Bandyopadhyay. Both delivered outstanding talks, and it was especially meaningful for Rafsan and Samiul to meet their academic grandparents—an experience that provided inspiration and motivation for their own research journeys and future careers.

It was particularly impactful to witness Prof. Bose’s continued emphasis on personal wellbeing. In her talks, she highlighted the importance of celebrating life through its different stages, whether as students, early-career faculty, or established researchers.

Dr. Neamul H. Khansur (Left) and Dr. Solaiman Tarafder (Right)

The conference also provided an opportunity for Dr. Tarafder to reconnect with his longtime colleague and friend, Prof. Sahar Vahabzadeh, and to meet Prof. Neamul H. Khansur from Case Western Reserve University. Both Dr. Tarafder and Dr. Khansur are alumni of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Bangladesh, making this interaction especially meaningful.