Jane M. Simmons Memorial Speakership
Foundation
Jane M. Simmons Memorial Speakership
Recognizing excellence in optical network architecture, design and planning at OFC.
Foundation
Established in 2021, the Jane M. Simmons Memorial Speakership recognizes an invited speaker at OFC.
This speakership was created to honor the legacy of Jane M. Simmons and her high-impact contributions to optical network architecture, design and planning. The prize has been endowed by the Family of Jane M. Simmons.
Application Information
How To Apply
By nomination through the OFC Program Chairs.
Eligibility Criteria
- Be an invited speaker at the OFC conference
- Have a presentation related to optical networks
- Demonstrated high-impact contributions to optical networks
- Attend and present at OFC
- Be recommended for consideration by a OFC conference chair
Application Requirements
- OFC program chairs will nominate a maximum of two invited speakers who fulfill the criteria for eligibility
- OFC general chairs will review all recommendations and select a maximum of one speakership recipient
- The recommendation of the OFC General Chairs is reviewed by the Optica Foundation for final approval
If you have questions, please contact prizes@optica.org.
Recipients
2026
Paola Iovanna
Ericsson, Italy
Invited Talk: AI-Orchestrated Access Transport Networks for 6G
2025
Lena Wosinska
Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden
Invited Talk: AI/ML-Based State-of-Polarization Monitoring in Optical Networks: Concepts and Challenges
2024
Anna Tzanakaki
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
Invited Talk: Optical Transport Networks Converging Edge Compute and Central Cloud: An Enabler For 6G Services
2023
Hong Liu
Google LLC, USA
Invited Talk: Apollo: Large-Scale Deployment of Optical Circuit Switching for Datacenter Networking
2022
Manya Ghobadi
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Invited Talk: Emerging Optical Interconnects for AI SystemsSelection Committee
The OFC General Chairs select the recipient from the invited speaker list.
