Popular Bangladeshi actor Rafiath Rashid Mithila has embarked on a new chapter in her professional career, joining two US universities in research and teaching roles. After nearly two decades with international development organisation BRAC, she has joined Columbia University as an Associate Research Scientist.

Mithila shared the news in a detailed post on her Facebook profile. She has joined Columbia University’s Irving Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, where she will lead the design and evaluation of the Early Childhood and Family Hub project in New York.

Explaining the focus of the initiative, Mithila wrote that the project works on early childhood development (ECD), family engagement and community health. It aims to connect families with children from birth to five years old with the resources and environment they need for healthy development.

She said she hopes to utilise her global experience at Columbia to connect research objectives with the needs of local communities and further advance the initiative through data and evidence generation.

Mithila also announced that she has started teaching at the City University of New York (CUNY) as an Adjunct Assistant Professor. She is teaching nonprofit management, introducing students to the practical aspects of how nonprofit organisations operate in the real world.

Sharing her excitement about the new opportunities, Mithila expressed gratitude to her former employer, BRAC. She said she was deeply grateful to BRAC for her professional journey and hoped that working with the research infrastructure and talented researchers at Columbia University would further enrich her experience.

Mithila also sought everyone’s prayers as she begins this new phase of her career.

Outside the entertainment industry, Mithila has spent around 20 years working with BRAC, including 15 years with BRAC International in the international development sector. She now aims to use that global experience to bridge the gap between research priorities and the needs of local communities.

For now, however, the actor appears to be keeping some distance from the camera as she focuses on her academic and research career.