About FTPI
The William I. Fine Theoretical Physics Institute (FTPI) was established in 1987 as part of the School of Physics and Astronomy, with the explicit goal of conducting research in theoretical physics at a world-class level. The most important charge of FTPI is to produce sound, significant and exciting theoretical physics that will have an impact on the school, the College of Science and Engineering, the University and the broader physics community.
The Institute hosts a prominent visiting scholar program, workshops, seminars, and a highly regarded public lecture series. Through these outreach programs, the Institute serves to advance theoretical physics, further connections with other scientific research disciplines, industrial research initiatives, and academic sectors. In addition to its noteworthy contributions to academia, the Institute provides a forum in which prominent theorists from around the globe educate, collaborate, and collectively pursue novel solutions to fundamental questions in theoretical physics. The work of the Institute facilitates the mission of the University by enriching the people of the state, the nation, and the world through its Research, Teaching, and Outreach programs.
Events
Recordings of the talks are available on the FTPI YouTube Channel.
The workshop "Continuous Advances in QCD" (CAQCD 2022) is being organized by the William I. Fine Theoretical Physics Institute (FTPI) at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. The workshop will be held from May 12-14, 2022 in Keller 3-180.
We will have a session dedicated to the memory of Misha Voloshin who, sadly, left our world on March 20, 2020 on Thursday, May 12th. This session will be devoted to heavy quark physics and decays of quasi-classical objects –– the topics so cherished by Misha, in which his contributions were instrumental.
There will also be time for participants to share their memories of Misha and how he impacted their lives.
FTPI has established a fellowship to celebrate the life and accomplishments of the late Professor Mikhail Voloshin by providing fellowships for exceptional graduate students working in the field of high energy physics. If you would like to help us to honor his memory by contributing to this fellowship please click on this link to our Foundation "Give" page.

I was a condensed matter theory graduate student from 2015-2019. Besides working with my advisor Andrey Chubukov, I also got the chance to interact a lot with other faculty members, postdocs, fellow graduate students, and visitors. With the support of FTPI, I was very fortunate to participate in workshops and summer schools on condensed matter physics five times during my graduate studies. These were very valuable experiences to learn the research front in various directions and network with people outside of the University. I felt FTPI is a big family where I belonged. Everyone I met there, the faculty members, postdocs, and staff members, are warm, welcoming and helpful. I cherish the memories here and love to visit whenever there is a chance!
Mengxing Ye, Kavli Institute for Theoretical PhysicsI was a postdoc at FTPI from 2016 to 2020. I can definitely say that my stay in FTPI was one of the best periods of my life. The scientific climate in FTPI is outstanding, and the freedom to do whatever I want, but at the same time work closely with great scientists is one of its greatest strengths. On top of that, the people at FTPI, staff and faculty, are warm and welcoming, and the place still feels like home to me. FTPI also provided me with the experience (and the connections!!) that allowed me to obtain my current position at Ariel University.
Thank you FTPI for everything!
Avraham (Avi) Klein, Ariel UniversityThe Fine Theoretical Physics Institute was instrumental in my development as a physicist. My research interests expanded into the inflationary epoch through collaborations with faculty working on the DOE HE theory grant. They introduced me to tools I continue to use and their insights continue to shape my thinking. Perhaps more important were the weekly seminars where faculty, post-docs, and graduate students gathered to hear top researchers present their recent work, and perhaps more importantly, to discuss this work. Seminars were frequently lively and I benefited greatly from observing brilliant physicists engage with these fascinating topics. FTPI helped me develop into an independent researcher.
Lauren Pearce, Penn State New KensingtonFTPI has a friendly research environment with world renowned researchers covering a vast array of topics. This environment played a vital role in my maturation as a researcher. In fact, many of my current expertises is attributed to my time at FTPI. For example, I was first encouraged to consider topics such as supergravity, inflation, dark matter phenomenology, proton decay, and grand unification during my time at FTPI. These topics are the foundations of much of my current research. Much of my success as a researcher can be traced back to the great research environment of FTPI.
Jason Evans, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
The time I spent at FTPI was amazing. I worked there as a postdoc from 2020-2021. People at FTPI, and more generally at the School of Physics and Astronomy, always made me feel welcome and that I belonged. At the same time, I had the opportunity to work with world-leading experts on the research topics I am most interested in, e.g., unconventional superconductivity and quantum criticality. It was a great experience, which boosted my career in academia and brought me to the place where I am today.
Laura Classen, Max Planck Institute for Solid State ResearchThe reason why I decided to apply to the graduate degree program in Minnesota was the presence of FTPI. My first contact with the Institute was in fact before I applied, when I visited for the occasion of M. Shifman's sexagennial celebration.
I was lucky to learn particle physics, gravitation, cosmology and supersymmetry from members of FTPI. These classes, and my interaction with members of the Institute, facilitated my transition from the study of mathematical structures in quantum mechanics to the study of high energy phenomena in the early Universe. In this regard, I was particularly lucky to have Keith Olive as my Ph.D. advisor, to whom I owe a good part of my success in academia. The FTPI/Lunchtime Seminars provided a great opportunity not only to learn about new developments and proposals in high energy physics, but also to identify and question any unfounded assumptions upon which they may rely. The financial support was invaluable for developing my research and communicating it.
Unluckily most of my stay at FTPI was during the remodeling of Tate, and I haven't been back since, but I can imagine that it remains as dynamic and welcoming as I remember it, for students, postdocs, visitors and faculty.
Upcoming Workshops

News

2022 Misel Family Lecture

Continuous Advances in QCD 2022
