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07 March 2024
Optica names recipients of 2024 Awards and Medals
These awards highlight outstanding accomplishments in all areas of the field of optics.
WASHINGTON — Optica, Advancing Optics and Photonics Worldwide, is pleased to announce the recipients of 20 of its 2024 awards and medals. These awards highlight outstanding technical, research, educational, business, leadership and service accomplishments.
"Congratulations to the 2024 Optica award and medal recipients, whose leadership, vision, and extraordinary contributions are advancing our field to new heights," said Gerd Leuchs, Optica's 2024 President. "In addition, my thanks to the dedication of my colleagues who nominated candidates, submitted references and served on award selection committees. We truly appreciate your support of this program."
The 2024 recipients are:
Esther Hoffman Beller Medal
Anurag Sharma, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, India
Citation: For outstanding contributions to optics and photonics teaching, research and leadership and creating India's first dedicated Optics and Photonics Centre at Indian Institute of Technology Delhi
Max Born Award
Andrea Alù, City University of New York, USA
Citation: For pioneering contributions to linear, nonlinear and nonreciprocal photonic metamaterials
Stephen D. Fantone Distinguished Service Award
Joseph Mait, USA
Citation: For decades of dedicated service and leadership across multiple Optica programs, including introducing innovative programs that support diversity, equity, and inclusion awareness processes for Optica publications and conferences
Michael S. Feld Biophotonics Award
Zhongping Chen, University of California Irvine, USA
Citation: For pioneering research, development, and clinical translation of Doppler optical coherence tomography (OCT), OCT angiography, OCT elastography, and multimodality intravascular imaging
Joseph Fraunhofer Award/Robert M. Burley Prize
Carmen Menoni, Colorado State University, USA
Citation: For seminal contributions to the materials aspects and engineering of amorphous oxides for optical coatings of high intensity lasers and gravitational wave detectors
Nick Holonyak Jr. Award
Theodore D. Moustakas, Boston University, USA
Citation: For pioneering contributions to nitride semiconductor materials and optical devices that helped build the foundation for blue and UV LEDs
Robert E. Hopkins Leadership Award
Kramer Akli, Department of Energy, Office of Science, USA
Citation: For leadership and vision in establishing North America's first high intensity laser research network, providing students and scientists worldwide with access to state of the art high power laser experimental facilities and photonics technologies
Edwin Land Medal (co-presented with the Society for Imaging Science and Technology)
Rama Chellappa, Johns Hopkins University, USA
Citation: For seminal contributions to the theory and practice of image/video processing and computer vision arenas resulting in inventions, technologies, and systems that have improved the lives of many worldwide
Sang Soo Lee Award (co-presented with the Optical Society of Korea)
Boon Ooi, King Abdullah University of Science & Technology, Saudi Arabia
Citation: For pioneering the field of optoelectronic devices and systems and growing the optics and photonics community in Saudi Arabia
Emmett N. Leith Medal
Ting-Chung Poon, Virginia Tech, USA
Citation: For seminal contributions to digital holography and optical information processing
Ellis R. Lippincott Award (co-presented with the Coblentz Society and the Society for Applied Spectroscopy)
Steven Boxer, Stanford University, USA
Citation: For his development of vibrational Stark spectroscopy as a revolutionary tool to understand molecular interactions at the fundamental level, and for its application in enzyme catalysis to answer the century-old question of how enzymes work
Adolph Lomb Medal
Deep Jariwala, University of Pennsylvania, USA
Citation: For seminal contributions to nano-optics of low-dimensional semiconductors and development of excitonic meta-materials
C.E.K. Mees Medal
Naomi Halas, Rice University, USA
Citation: For her design, fabrication, and demonstration of nanoparticles with specific optical and physical properties, the widespread application of which enables advances in fields including cancer therapy, water security, and light-driven chemistry
William F. Meggers Award
Nathalie Picqué, Max-Born Institute, Germany
Citation: For pioneering broadband molecular spectroscopy with interfering frequency combs
David Richardson Medal
Radhakrishnan Nagarajan, Marvell Semiconductor Inc., USA
Citation: For the successful manufacturing and commercialization of InP and Si-based photonic integrated circuits for use as optical interconnects with a wide range of applications
Kevin P. Thompson Optical Design Innovator Award
Samuel Steven, Apple Inc., USA
Citation: For the introduction of nodal aberration theory to the design of ophthalmic imaging instrumentation and the generalization of the Alvarez lens to achieve tunable correction of chromatic aberrations
Edgar D. Tillyer Award
Gordon Legge, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, USA
Citation: For revolutionizing the field of low vision research and applying this knowledge to aid and improve reading and mobility in people with low vision
Charles Hard Townes Medal
Franco Nori, RIKEN, Japan and University of Michigan, USA
Citation: For his many fundamental contributions to quantum optics, quantum information processing, and quantum circuits, and for the development of key quantum software tools
Optica Treasurer's Award
Nathaniel (Nate) Jones, Optica, USA
Citation: For outstanding dedication to maintaining the Optica headquarters and invaluable support of staff through a variety of projects ranging from meeting set-up to package delivery.
R. W. Wood Prize
Rick Trebino, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA
Citation: For his invention and development of techniques for the ever more complete and rigorous measurement of ultrashort light pulses, which has enabled a wide range of new applications across many fields
About Optica
Optica, Advancing Optics and Photonics Worldwide, is the society dedicated to promoting the generation, application, archiving and dissemination of knowledge in the field. Founded in 1916, it is the leading organization for scientists, engineers, business professionals, students and others interested in the science of light. Optica's renowned publications, meetings, online resources and in-person activities fuel discoveries, shape real-life applications and accelerate scientific, technical and educational achievement. Discover more at: Optica.org
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