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14 February 2022
Five Optica Fellows inducted as members of the US National Academy of Engineering
WASHINGTON— Optica congratulates five Fellows for their election into the U.S. National Academy of Engineering. With their election, Alan C. Bovik, Stephen D. Fantone, Bahram Jalali, Jérôme Faist, and Rodney S. Tucker have achieved one of “the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer.” Fantone, Bovik and Jalali are among 111 new members, and Faist and Tucker are among 22 international members selected after the cumulation of a year-long process.
“Election to the National Academy of Engineering is one of the highest recognitions for engineers,” said Elizabeth Rogan, CEO of Optica. “We congratulate the Optica Fellows who have been elected to this prestigious organization.”
Bovik, the Cockrell Family Regents Endowed Chair in Engineering and professor at the Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Texas, Austin was elected “For contributions to the development of tools for image and video quality assessment.” He is also the recipient of the 2017 Optica Edwin H. Land Medal for similar work in the advancement of modern perceptual image quality theory, as well as the 2022 IEEE Edison Medal and a Primetime Emmy Award, among other accolades.
Fantone, who was elected “For contributions to optical engineering and the development of optically based products and metrology system,” is president and CEO of Optikos Corp and was the 2020 Optica President. His leadership throughout the pandemic at Optikos and Optica provided needed stability and resilience in uncertain times. He served as Optica’s Treasurer from 1996 to 2013 and has been a highly active volunteer at Optica, the Hertz Foundation, and the University of Rochester, among other organizations. Optica’s award for distinguished service was renamed in his honor in 2013.
Jalali, the Fang Lu Chai at Samueli School of Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles was selected “For contributions to silicon photonics, high time-resolution scientific instruments, and biomedical imaging.” He received the 2007 R.W. Wood Prize from Optica for the invention and demonstration of Raman lasing in silicon and has been an active Optica volunteer, serving on numerous committees.
Faist, elected “For contributions to the development of mid-infrared and terahertz quantum cascade lasers,” is a professor at the Institute for Quantum Electronics, ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), Zurich, Switzerland. Faist’s invention of quantum cascade lasers has also earned him the Swiss National Lastis Prize, the Michael Lunn award, and others, marking his achievement.
Tucker is an honorary laureate professor (emeritus) in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, at the University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. He was elected to NAE “for contributions to semiconductor lasers, high-speed optoelectronics, and energy-efficient optical networking.” He was awarded the Australia Prize in 1997 for his contributions to telecommunications, and is a fellow of the Australian Academy of Sciences, the Australian Academy of Technological Science and Engineering, and IEEE.
About the U.S. National Academy of Engineering
Founded in 1964, the U.S. National Academy of Engineering is a private, independent, nonprofit institution that provides engineering leadership in service to the nation. Its mission is to advance the well-being of the nation by promoting a vibrant engineering profession and by marshalling the expertise and insights of eminent engineers to provide independent advice to the federal government on matters involving engineering and technology.
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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