Hyder’s journey to Yale has included periods of living as a refugee, encountering religious disparities and experiencing life as an immigrant during the 9/11 tragedy, says Yale College dean

Bangladeshi-origin scientist DS Fahmeed Hyder, a professor of biomedical engineering at the Yale School of Engineering and Applied Science and professor of radiology and biomedical imaging at the Yale School of Medicine, has been appointed the next head of Trumbull College.

Yale College Dean Pericles Lewis made the announcement at an event at the college on Wednesday night, according to YaleNews.

Hyder will succeed Margaret Clark, the John M Musser Professor of Psychology, who has been Trumbull's head for 10 years.

College heads serve as the chief administrative officer and presiding faculty member within the residential colleges and help nurture the social, cultural and educational life there.

A world-renowned scientist in the field of biomedical imaging, Hyder focuses his research on mapping the brain's physiology and chemistry with magnetic resonance advances to identify metabolic markers of degeneration and cancer.

Hyder, who grew up in Bangladesh and is a Maple Leaf International School alumnus, will begin a five-year term at Trumbull on July 1.

“I am touched by the warm welcome and so excited to be part of the Trumbull community!” Hyder said. “I look forward to getting to know the students, and championing their passions.”

Pericles Lewis said: “Prof Hyder's journey to becoming a scientist has been serendipitous. As his homeland of Bangladesh was fighting for independence, his family became refugees and remained in a war camp for three years. After independence, his family had to move abroad for safety. During this transition, he immersed himself in music and athletics; and it was a music scholarship that provided him access to a US college education.

“Prof Hyder's long journey to Yale has included periods of living as a refugee, seeing firsthand exposure to climate change, encountering religious disparities and experiencing life as an immigrant during the 9/11 tragedy.”

Joining Hyder as associate head of Trumbull is Anita Sharif-Hyder, who currently serves as Associate Secretary for the University-Wide Committee on Sexual Misconduct. Sharif-Hyder has an international background and is multilingual: of Bangladeshi origin, she was born in Thailand, and she lived in Venezuela, Kuwait, Egypt and India during her formative years. 

With advanced degrees in psychology, she has been putting her cross-cultural counselling background to good use in a professional career in higher education, initially at the International House of Philadelphia and Kaplan Inc, and for the past 15 years at Yale University with the Yale World Fellows Program and Provost's Office.

“Both Prof Hyder and Ms Sharif-Hyder embrace hospitality and hope to bring their cultural traditions in service to the vibrant and diverse Trumbull community,” Lewis said. “They will be joined in the college by their daughter, Leila Hyder, an artist, thespian and social justice advocate, and will have frequent visits to campus from their son, Arman Hyder, a basketball enthusiast, world traveller and foodie, to reignite the traditions of Trumbull such as Potty Court Frisbee and Rumble in Trumbull … so Trumbullians, get ready!”

In announcing Hyder's appointment, Lewis expressed gratitude to Margaret Clark, the outgoing head of Trumbull, and Associate Head Frederick Polner “for their extraordinary leadership and service to Trumbull.”