Mohammad Ataul Karim (Bengali : মোহাম্মদ আতাউল করিম ; born 4 May 1953) is a Bangladeshi American scientist and higher education administrator, with expertise in electro-optical systems, optical computing, and pattern recognition. Ataul Karim is ranked amongst the top 50 researchers who contributed most to Applied Optics in its 50-year history. Ataul Karim served as provost, executive vice chancellor and chief operating officer of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth between june 2013-2020, and was for 9 years the first Vice President for Research of Old Dominion University (ODU) in Norfolk, Virginia.