User:Justice Ripinga/Alfred Msezane

Alfred Zakhele Msezane is a South African characterized by his contributions to the field of physicist, marked by his significant academic achievements and research advancements. Born in South Africa during a period of political turmoil, Msezane's educational pursuits were shaped by the challenges of the apartheid era. His academic journey led him from local institutions to international scholarships, enabling him to study abroad and earn a Ph.D in physics. He is a professor in the Department of Physics at Clark Atlanta University, and the Founding Director of the Center for Theoretical Studies of Physical Systems. His research is primarily in theoretical atomic physics and condensed matter theory. He also carries out research in mathematical physics, and image processing.

Early Life/Personal Life:

Alfred Msezane was born on December 31, 1938, in Springs, South Africa into a Zulu family. His father, Albert Msezane, was from Piet Retief, while his mother was from eSwatini (formerly Swaziland). Msezane lived on a farm with his grandmother and worked as a shepherd. In search of better opportunities, his parents moved to Johannesburg, where they raised him and his brother, Richard, and managed a successful livestock trading business. Msezane’s upbringing in Johannesburg was during a time of significant political and social upheaval due to the apartheid regime. Despite the challenges, his family provided a supportive environment that nurtured his early interests and talents.

Education:

Msezane’s educational journey began at St. Louis Catholic School, where he showed a keen interest and talent in mathematics. He attended Thlakula school from grades seven to nine, and graduated from Inkamana high school in 1959. Due to apartheid policies, he was not able to enrol in any White-only university. Instead, with a Rotary International Scholarship, he enrolled in University of Fort Hare in 1960 and obtained a B.Sc.-Honours degree in physics in 1965. In the same year, he accepted a World University Scholarship to pursue a Ph.D. at University of Saskatchewan in Canada, where he research focus was on the structure of the deuteron.

After obtaining his M.Sc. in theoretical nuclear physics in 1968, Msezane returned to Johannesburg to complete his doctoral degree at University of the Witwatersrand. His research was interrupted by apartheid policies, and he had to return to Canada in 1969 to write his dissertation on collision theory at the University of Western Ontario. There, he married Gail P. Msezane, whom he had met at the University of Saskatchewan. He obtained his Ph.D. in physics in 1974.

Career:

After spending a year at the University of Western Ontario learning and implementing Modular Teaching to physics students, Msezane moved to Georgia State University in 1974 for his postdoctoral research. He became a college instructor and researcher at the University of New Brunswick in 1976. He served as a visiting professor at Louisiana State University from 1978 to 1980, and joined the faculty of Morehouse College as an assistant professor of physics in 1980. This position allowed him to shape the minds of future physicists and contribute to the college’s academic community. In 1983 Msezane became professor and served as chair of the physics department from 1986 to 1989 at Atlanta University, which was merged with Clark College in 1988 to become Clark Atlanta University.