Adil Hassam
Professor Emeritus Adil Hassam died on September 30, 2026.
Hassam was a distinguished theoretical plasma physicist whose research advanced understanding of plasma confinement, magnetohydrodynamics, controlled thermonuclear fusion, and solar-terrestrial plasmas.
Adil Hassam was honored as the department's Outstanding Advisor in 2015.
He earned his B.S. and M.S. degrees in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his Ph.D. in astrophysical sciences from Princeton University. He joined the University of Maryland in 1978 as a postdoc and rose through the ranks to full professor, while building a long and productive career as a researcher, mentor, and teacher. His work on magnetic and centrifugal confinement contributed to the broader effort to develop practical fusion energy, and he published extensively in plasma physics and related fields. A Fellow of the American Physical Society, Hassam was also recognized for his commitment to teaching and mentoring students. In 2015, he was named an outstanding graduate advisor in the Department of Physics.
Hassam was a devoted and talented classroom teacher, consistently receiving superlative praise from students, e.g., Professor Hassam was a phenomenal professor, and he should teach all courses always; The teaching style was flawless; and I DONT KNOW HOW IT COULD GET BETTER.
Through his scholarship, collegiality, and dedication to physics, he made lasting contributions to the University of Maryland community and to the field of plasma physics.
Services will be held on October 7 in Carrollton, TX.