About
25 March 2014
OSA and OSK Name First Recipient of Sang Soo Lee Award
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Lyndsay Meyer
The Optical Society
+1.202.416.1435
lmeyer@osa.org
OSA and OSK Name First Recipient of Sang Soo Lee Award
Click here to view in Korean. (pdf
) 
WASHINGTON, March 25, 2014—The Optical Society (OSA) and the Optical Society of Korea (OSK) are pleased to announce that the inaugural Sang Soo Lee Award winner is Mario Garavaglia of the Center for Optical Research in La Plata, Argentina. Garavaglia is being honored for his key role in the development of optics and photonics research and education in Argentina.Established in 2012 by OSA and OSK, the Sang Soo Lee Award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in founding or growing the optics and photonics community at a local or regional level. The award honors eminent individuals who have played a key role in a specific region, through research and/or education in optics or photonics, by introducing a new field of study within optics or photonics, or initiating an optics and photonics industry. Sang Soo Lee was known as the “Father of Optics” in South Korea where he had a career spanning more than four decades and was active as an educator, researcher and author.
“Mario embodies the spirit of the Lee Award through his dedicated work advancing optics and photonics education and research in Argentina,” said OSA President Philip Bucksbaum. “He has worked tirelessly to grow the community through his students, research labs and publications. On behalf of OSA, we commend him for his efforts and leadership.”
“The Lee Award is meant to recognize exceptional individuals who have made a lasting contribution to a local optics community just as Sang Soo Lee did in South Korea,” said Jeong Weon Wu, OSK President. “Mario is a much revered member of the Argentinian optics community and is in a lot of ways, the father of optics there. He is a fitting inaugural recipient of the award and we congratulate him on his accomplishments.”
Garavaglia founded the spectroscopy, optics and lasers laboratory at the Universidad Nacional de La Plata in 1966 and the Center for Optical Research (CIOp) in 1977 where he served as director until 1992 and is currently a researcher. Garavaglia has published more than 250 research papers on topics such as classical and modern optics, optical emission spectroscopy and laser spectroscopy and was awarded the 1999 ICO Galileo Galilei Award for his work in support of optics education.
About OSA
Founded in 1916, The Optical Society (OSA) is the leading professional society for scientists, engineers, students and business leaders who fuel discoveries, shape real-world applications and accelerate achievements in the science of light. Through world-renowned publications, meetings and membership programs, OSA provides quality research, inspired interactions and dedicated resources for its extensive global network of professionals in optics and photonics. For more information, visit www.osa.org.
About OSK
Founded in 1989, The Optical Society of Korea (OSK) is the leading academic society in optics and photonics in Korea. With its two journals, one magazine and diverse activities of nine technical divisions, OSK is serving for scientists, engineers, students and industry leaders in optics and photonics in Korea. OSK has collaboration agreements with several oversea societies and has been participating in organizing various international conferences. For more information, visit www.osk.kr.
