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Title: Embattled Superconductivity Scientist Is Out

Link: https://science.slashdot.org/story/24/11/19/1...

Ranga Dias, a physics professor who made headlines with claims that he had
discovered a room-temperature superconductor and then was found to have
engaged in research misconduct, is no longer employed by the University of
Rochester. WSJ: A spokeswoman for the university confirmed on Monday that
Dias is out but declined to comment on the terms of his departure. The Wall
Street Journal previously reported that Rochester President Sarah Mangelsdorf
had called for terminating his position in an August letter to the chair and
vice chair of the university's Board of Trustees. Dias leaves the university
after years of accusations that he had misrepresented data in multiple
papers. He is a senior author on at least five papers retracted in just over
two years. One of those, which identified a material that functioned as a
superconductor at room temperature, was pulled by the journal Nature after
several co-authors told the journal that Dias had misrepresented information
in the paper. Dias didn't respond to requests for comment. He has previously
denied manipulating or misrepresenting data. His departure follows a
monthslong university investigation completed in February that was led by
three outside experts who reviewed documents and data from Dias's laboratory
computers and interviewed Dias and his collaborators. The investigative panel
found evidence of misconduct in four papers in which Dias is a senior author
and in a grant proposal he submitted to the National Science Foundation. Then-
provost David Figlio accepted the conclusions and referred his case to a
faculty committee "for potential removal." Dias sued the university in
February claiming that the probe into his work was biased and didn't follow
university policies.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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