Ivan Kaminow Outstanding Early-Career Professional Prize
Foundation
Kaminow Outstanding Early-Career Professional Prize
Be recognized for leadership and service to the community.
Program Prize
Funding to attend FiO+LS, a USD 2,000 grant, and the opportunity to advance to the interview round of the Optica Ambassadors program.
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Established in 2012, this prize honors Ivan Kaminow for his many contributions to the field of optics and photonics, as well as his dedication to mentoring and inspiring early career researchers.
Each year, one early career Optica Member is selected to acknowledge their volunteer efforts with both Optica and the community. We seek emerging leaders who dedicate their time to activities, such as student chapters, youth outreach, community service, meetings and publication service.
The recipient receives funding to attend FiO+LS, a USD 2,000 grant, and the opportunity to advance to the interview round of the Optica Ambassadors program.
Application Information
How To Apply
Submit your application at apply.optica.org
Applicant Requirements
- Must be an Optica Member and an early career professional (1 – 5 years post highest degree).
- Can demonstrate exceptional sevice contributions to Optica and the optics and photonics community.
Application Requirements
- Short answer questions
- CV/resume
- Two reference letters
If you have questions, please contact apply@optica.org.
Recipients
Guillermo Ezequiel Sánchez Guerrero
Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, México
For his dedication to fostering a global community of optics researchers through impactful local science education and outreach.
Justus C. Ndukaife
Vanderbilt University, USA
For unwavering commitment to teaching, mentoring and community service by fostering the growth and development of students within his local community and in Africa.
Sejeong Kim
University of Melbourne, Australia
For her dedication to the Nanophotonics Technical Group and youth outreach in Australia and South Korea.
Brandon Buscaino
Infinera Corporation, USA
For his ongoing support for Optica student chapters and public policy initiatives as well as his commitment to advancing the impact of Optica Foundation opportunities.
Chaitanya Kumar Suddapalli
ICFO and Radiantis, Spain
For outstanding contributions to Optica and the optics and photonics community as a whole.
Robert Woodward
Macquarie University, Australia
For outstanding contributions to Optica and the optics and photonics community as a whole.
Amol Choudhary
University of Sydney, Australia
For outstanding contributions to Optica and the optics and photonics community as a whole.
Adam J. Fleisher
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), USA
For outstanding contributions to Optica and the optics and photonics community as a whole.
Rocio Barrega-Varillas
Politecnico di Milano, Italy
For outstanding contributions to Optica and the optics and photonics community as a whole.
Alvaro Casas-Bedoya
University of Sydney, Australia
For outstanding contributions to Optica and the optics and photonics community as a whole.
Antigone Marino
Italian National Research Council, Italy
For outstanding contributions to Optica and the optics and photonics community as a whole.
Arlene Smith
University of Michigan, USA
For outstanding contributions to Optica and the optics and photonics community as a whole.
Arti Agrawal
City University, London, United Kingdom
For outstanding contributions to Optica and the optics and photonics community as a whole.
Giovanni Volpe
Bilkent University, Turkey
For outstanding contributions to Optica and the optics and photonics community as a whole.
Laura Waller
University of California Berkeley, USA
For outstanding contributions to Optica and the optics and photonics community as a whole.
Contributors
This fund is sponsored by the Kaminow family, Intel Corporation and personal donations from the community.
About the Endowment
Ivan P. Kaminow was a pioneer who helped revolutionize the telecommunications industry. A Member for 48 years, Ivan received many awards over his career, including the Charles Hard Townes Award, John Tyndall Award and Frederic Ives Medal/Jarus W. Quinn Endowment. Ivan was respected among his peers and known for influencing and guiding future innovators in the field of optics and photonics.
More information on Ivan’s accomplishments can be found here.
2025 Selection Committee
| Name | Affiliation | Country |
|---|---|---|
| Alessandra Marie Carmichael Martins | European Southern Observatory | GERMANY |
| Alvaro Casas-Bedoya | University of Sydney | AUSTRALIA |
| Tatevik Chalyan | Vrije Universiteit Brussel | BELGIUM |
| Carlos Lopez-Mariscal | Underwater Photonics | MEXICO |
| Matthew Posner | Axonal Networks Inc. | CANADA |
| Manish Tiwari | Manipal University Jaipur | INDIA |
| Robert Ian Woodward | Toshiba Europe Ltd. | UNITED KINGDOM |
