2021 Ellis R. Lippincott Award Winner

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Rohit Bhargava Named the 2021 Ellis R. Lippincott Award Recipient

The Optical Society, Coblentz Society and Society for Applied Spectroscopy (SAS) are pleased to announce that Rohit Bhargava, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA, has been selected as the 2021 recipient of the Ellis R. Lippincott Award. Bhargava is honored for contributions to the fundamental physics and instrument engineering of mid-IR microscopy and its applications to medical imaging.

Photo Credit: L. Brian Stauffer, Univ of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Rohit Bhargava received his B.Tech. degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, India, and Ph.D. from Case Western Reserve University, USA. Today, he is Founder Professor of Engineering and serves as the Director of the Cancer Center at the University of Illinois. His primary appointment is in the Department of Bioengineering with joint appointments in chemistry and several engineering departments as well as in the Carle Illinois College of Medicine.

Bhargava is the worldwide leader in infrared (IR) micro-spectroscopy and imaging. Bhargava and collaborators have enabled the development of a complete theory for IR microscopy and nanoscopy over the last decade, forming the theoretical foundation of IR imaging. He has also been able to translate fundamental scientific understanding to practical spectrometers by working with industry. This work has resulted in “high definition” (HD) imaging, now adopted by all IR microscopy manufacturers. Bhargava, additionally, has opened the field of using high performance IR imaging for pathology, with studies that show how conventional pathology can be made all-digital and highly accurate.

He has received wide recognition for his work, including the Gordon F. Kirkbright Bursary Award, FACSS Innovation Award, the Craver Award, the Agilent Thought Leader Award, and the Beckman Vision and Spirit Award. He is a Fellow of the Society for Applied Spectroscopy and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.

Established in 1975, the Lippincott Award is presented to an individual who has made significant contributions to vibrational spectroscopy as judged by their influence on other scientists. The award honors the unique contributions Ellis R. Lippincott made to the field of vibrational spectroscopy. It is jointly presented by OSA, the Coblentz Society and the Society for Applied Spectroscopy.