Chowdhury Champions Advancement of STEM Education
Whether he’s teaching, researching or presenting his findings, Chowdhury aims to instill in others an interest and appreciation for the disciplines of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
“It’s no secret that the incorporation of science and technology into every field of life has created more sophisticated communities,” he said. “To continue this progress, we must provide students with a solid foundation in STEM so they remain competitive and are prepared to navigate our changing world.”
In the classroom, Chowdhury strives to achieve this by following a multidisciplinary approach that incorporates real-world, practical learning opportunities.
“I enjoy teaching at STLCC because I’m able to serve students from a wide array of backgrounds and develop strong connections with them,” he said. “Often, upon graduation, many of my former students go on to work in a vast multitude of health-related fields. It’s always rewarding to see the positive impacts they are making on others and to know that STLCC played a part in their success.”
Outside of the classroom, Chowdhury shares his expertise with others by presenting on his research and publishing his findings in scientific journals. Chowdhury’s research papers have been published in many peer-reviewed journals, including the “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences-USA,” “Neuron,” “Experimental Brain Research,” “Journal of Neuroscience,” “Neuroscience Research,” “Journal of Neurophysiology,” “Journal of Neuroscience Research” and “European Journal of Pharmacology.”
Chowdhury also has played a key role in organizing large-scale community events at the Wildwood campus that allow kids and families to explore topics in STEM. Chowdhury and his students have presented on the campus’ STEM activities at experimental biology conferences.
“Amazingly, a massive portion of new work opportunities have been created by the innovation of new technology, and this trend will surely continue,” he said. “We know that early exposure to STEM can lead to greater opportunities for kids in the future, so we want to do our part to create learning experiences that challenge their thinking and give them a taste of where the world of STEM is headed.”
Chowdhury holds a master’s degree in physiology from the Post Graduate Medical Research Institute in Bangladesh and a doctorate in neurophysiology from Gifu University School of Medicine in Japan. He completed post-doctoral fellowships in the Department of Biology at Washington University in St. Louis and the Centre for Neurobiology of Learning and Memory at the University of California-Irvine. He’s also held research positions in the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Dalhousie University School of Medicine in Halifax, Canada.
When he’s not teaching or researching, he enjoys writing poetry, playing golf and badminton, and traveling with his family.
“I’ve had the opportunity to travel around the world and live in four different countries,” he said. “This exposure and experience has helped me in my teaching and has been invaluable in my day-to-day life.”