Through their generous gift, Professor Bianca Conti-Fine and her late husband William (Bill) Fine laid the foundation for the William I. Fine Theoretical Physics Institute (FTPI) as part of the University’s School of Physics and Astronomy.
The son of Russian immigrants, Fine was a successful businessman and investor, who had a passion for physics and loved the University.
“My husband, like his father, believed education is the one thing you can carry with you forever—no one can ever take it away,” said Fine, a professor in the University’s Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics. “Education is the key to freedom and a good life.”
With a prominent international profile, the FTPI has established itself as a “workplace for great minds.” It provides a meeting place for physicists to exchange and develop their ideas, and conduct world-class studies in theoretical physics. “Physicists from all over the world come here to study, conduct research and learn from faculty who are great players in theoretical physics,” Fine said.
“By exploring fundamental questions at the forefront of theoretical physics, we’re investing in the future. These studies may not have immediately recognizable and practical outcomes, yet they lay the groundwork for development of many new technologies such as medical imaging, computer-assisted surgery, new means of communication, nanorobotics, and other potential development of emerging nanotechnology,” Fine said.
Since its inception, the FTPI has hosted hundreds of distinguished visitors from around the world and sponsored numerous high-level workshops and lectures.
Through their generous gift, Professor Bianca Conti-Fine and her late husband William (Bill) Fine laid the foundation for the William I. Fine Theoretical Physics Institute (FTPI) as part of the University’s School of Physics and Astronomy.