EMU physicist joins Institute of Physics gravitational research committee

Prof. Dr. İzzet Sakallı, a physicist at Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU) in Famagusta, has been elected as an ordinary member of the Institute of Physics Gravitational Physics Group Committee for the 2026–2030 term, according to reports by Halkın Sesi and Yeniduzen.

The election followed a vote among members of the group. The Institute of Physics informed Sakallı of the result on 19 August 2026, after he applied in response to an invitation issued in April, the reports said.

His four-year term began on 1 October 2026 and is scheduled to run until 30 September 2030. The committee is chaired by Dr. Charlie Hoy of the University of Portsmouth’s Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation, and includes scientists from institutions in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and China.

The committee held its first meetings of the new term online on 9 October. Discussions included the group’s annual scientific meeting, its annual thesis award, preparations for the BritGrav 2027 conference and longer-term objectives.

Sakallı said the appointment represented an important responsibility for both himself and EMU. He said he aimed to support stronger international research collaboration and increase the participation of young physicists in the group’s activities.

His research areas include black-hole physics, Hawking radiation, quasinormal modes, greybody factors, gravitational lensing and modified theories of gravity. Yeniduzen also reported that he serves as coordinator of EMU’s Academic Project–Research Development Office.

EMU officials said the appointment could expand the university’s international research networks and scientific visibility, while creating further collaboration opportunities for young researchers.