Optical Society of America Bestows Top Honors on 14
2003 Recipients of Society's Prestigious Awards Announced
Washington, D.C. -- The Optical Society of America (OSA) is pleased to announce the recipients of 14 of its annual awards. Joining the ranks of prestigious past winners, the 14 new recipients are being recognized for their significant achievements and successes in the optics field. This year's winners include: Herbert Walther, Ives Medal/Quinn Endowment; David Hanna, Charles H. Townes Award; Ajoy Ghatak, Esther Hoffman Beller Medal; Charles M. Vest, OSA Leadership Award/New Focus Prize; Alexei Vladimirovich Sokolov, Adolph Lomb Medal; Christopher Dainty, C. E. K. Mees Medal; Roland V. Shack, Richardson Medal; George Ian Stegeman, R.W. Wood Prize; Weilin Pan, Allen Prize; Howard John Carmichael, Max Born Award; Yoshiki Ichioka, Fraunhofer Award/Burley Prize; Joe C. Campbell, Nick Holonyak, Jr. Award; Shaul Mukamel, Ellis R. Lippincott Award; and Daniel R. Grischkowsky, William F. Meggers Award.
"OSA awards provide an opportunity to recognize outstanding achievement within the field. Winning one of these prestigious awards is certainly a career highpoint," says Elizabeth Rogan, executive director. "We congratulate these individuals on their perseverance, commitment and contributions to advancing the science of light."
The selection process for each of the awards is stringent, with all nominees evaluated by a selection committee. While the criteria differ for each award, the judging process remains the same. A nomination form is submitted, along with a brief citation of the nominee's accomplishments, emphasizing those that make him/her a candidate for the particular award, a one-page narrative description touching on the most significant events in the candidate's career, a curriculum vitae and a minimum of four letters of reference for the candidate. Once received, the OSA Board of Directors appoints a committee to oversee each selection process. The committee is then responsible for evaluating each applicant and choosing the person most deserving of the award. Finally, the committee's recommendations are presented to the OSA Board of Directors for final review and approval.
"The OSA Board of Directors takes great pride in presenting these awards," says OSA president, G. Michael Morris. "The caliber of each candidate never ceases to amaze us, and this year's recipients have made significant advancements to not only the science, but also to the entire optics community, through their dedication to the people, organizations and resources that drive the industry forward. We applaud their achievements, motivation and drive."
The awards to be presented include the following:
Ives Medal/Quinn Endowment
Recipient: Professor Dr. Herbert Walther
The highest award conferred by the Society for overall distinction in optics, the Ives Medal/Quinn Endowment was launched in 1928 by Herbert E. Ives, a distinguished OSA charter member and past president, to honor his father - the inventor of modern photoengraving - for his pioneering contributions to applied optics. In 2003, this award, which includes a medal, certificate and $10,000 gift, is given to Herbert Walther for his work in quantum optics, including the development of the micromaser and the demonstration of Wigner crystallization of laser-cooled ions.
Charles H. Townes Award
Recipient: David Hanna
Created to commemorate Townes' pioneering contributions to masers and lasers, which led to the development of the field of quantum electronics, this award consists of a medal, certificate and $5,000. This year's recipient, David Hanna, is being honored for influential work on the development of coherent light sources and for leadership within the worldwide optics community.
Esther Hoffman Beller Medal
Recipient: Ajoy Ghatak
The Esther Hoffman Beller Medal was developed in 1993 to award contributions to optical science and engineering education. Ajoy Ghatak, professor of physics at the Indian Institute of Technology (ITT), is this year's recipient of this prestigious award, recognized for his outstanding contributions to optics education and for leadership of a major fiber optics and optoelectronics research and training program in a developing nation. The Esther Hoffman Beller Medal consists of the medal itself, a certificate and a $2,500 prize.
OSA Leadership Award/New Focus Prize
Recipient: Charles M. Vest
Awarded to Charles Vest for leadership in setting the national agenda for higher education and university research, including its impact on optics, the OSA Leadership Award/New Focus Prize promotes the link between the optics community and the public. The award benefits include a scroll, an optical art piece and a lifetime OSA membership.
Adolph Lomb Medal
Recipient: Alexei Vladimirovich Sokolov
As an award that recognizes the noteworthy contributions of young researchers to the industry, the Adolph Lomb Medal consists of a medal, a certificate and a $1,500 prize. This year's recipient, Alexei Vladimirovich Sokolov, is receiving the honor for his work on the prediction and demonstration of single-cycle optical pulse generation by molecular modulation.
C. E. K. Mees Medal
Recipient: Christopher Dainty
Presented to Christopher Dainty this year, the C. E. K. Mees Medal was established in 1961 in memory of C. E. K. Mees, who contributed much to the development of scientific photography, and acknowledges a recipient who exemplifies the thought that optics transcends all boundaries, interdisciplinary and international. Dainty was chosen as the 2003 recipient for his contributions to the understanding and application of speckle phenomena and for leadership in the international optics community. The award provides a medal, certificate and $1,500.
Richardson Medal
Recipient: Roland V. Shack
The Richardson Medal was developed to applaud the unique contributions to applied optics and spectroscopy made by its namesake. Consisting of a medal, certificate and $1,500, this award recognizes those who have made significant and unique contributions to technical optics. Roland Shack was selected for this award because of his numerous contributions to optical engineering, including the invention of the Shack-Hartmann sensor and the Shack cube interferometer.
R.W. Wood Prize
Recipient: George Ian Stegeman
George Stegeman is this year's recipient of the R. W. Wood Prize for pioneering nonlinear integrated optics through seminal experiments and continuing leadership. Established to recognize the outstanding discovery scientific or technical achievement or invention in the field of optics, the prize consists of a medal, certificate and $1,500 and is endowed by the Xerox Corporation.
Allen Prize
Recipient: Weilin Pan
This prize was created to recognize the achievements of graduate students making significant contributions to atmospheric remote sensing using electro-optical instrumentation. Weilin Pan has been selected to receive the 2003 Allen Prize for her work on measurements of atmospheric temperatures above the North and South Poles using a novel lidar system. Pan will receive a certificate and $1,500.
Max Born Award
Recipient: Howard John Carmichael
Bestowed upon Howard Carmichael in 2003, the Max Born Award was created to highlight outstanding contributions to physical optics, theoretical or experimental. This award recognizes Carmichael's outstanding theoretical contributions to quantum optics through the understanding of quantum fluctuations, especially in the open systems of resonance fluorescence and cavity QED. Carmichael will be presented with a medal, certificate and $1,500.
Fraunhofer Award/ Burley Prize
Recipient: Yoshiki Ichioka
The Fraunhofer Award/Burley Prize was established in 1982 to point out those individuals who have made important accomplishments in the field of optical engineering. For notable contributions to information processing and optical computing, this award is conferred upon Yoshiki Ichioka in 2003 and consists of a medal, certificate and $1,500.
Nick Holonyak, Jr. Award
Recipient: Joe C. Campbell
In receiving the Nick Holonyak, Jr. Award, the recipient is recognized for his significant contributions to optics based on semiconductor materials, including basic science and technological applications. Joe Campbell has been selected to receive this honor in 2003 because of his extensive efforts in the development of high-speed, low-noise avalanche photodiodes. He will receive a certificate and $5,000.
Ellis R. Lippincott Award
Recipient: Shaul Mukamel
A joint award between OSA, the Coblentz Society and the Society for Applied Spectroscopy, the Ellis R. Lippincott Award is presented to an individual who has made significant contributions to vibrational spectroscopy and has demonstrated a key level of innovation. Shaul Maukamel will be receiving the award's trademark crystal box and $1,500 as he is honored for the development and application of formalism for the design and understanding of nonlinear optical experiments on molecular vibrations.
William F. Meggers Award
Recipient: Daniel R. Grischkowsky
The William F. Meggers Award was developed to help recognize outstanding work in spectroscopy. For seminal contributions to the development and application of THz time-domain spectroscopy, Daniel Grishkowsky is the 2003 recipient of this award and will receive a medal, certificate and $1,500.
OSA bestows these awards annually, with the formal presentation ceremony taking during the Society's annual meeting, which this year occurs October 5-9 in Tucson, AZ. More information on the meeting is available on OSA's Web site at http://www.osa.org/meetings/annual/.
About OSA
The Optical Society of America (OSA) brings together an international network of the industry's preeminent optics and photonics scientists, engineers, educators, technicians and business leaders. Representing more than 15,000 members from approximately 100 different countries, OSA promotes the worldwide generation, application and dissemination of optics and photonics knowledge through its meetings, events and journals. Since its founding in 1916, OSA member benefits, programming, publications, products and services have set the industry's standard of excellence. Additional information on OSA is available on the Society's Web site at www.osa.org.