OSA Congratulates Members Michal Lipson and Nergis Mavalvala on MacArthur Foundation Fellowships
OSA congratulates Michal Lipson, OSA fellow, and Nergis Mavalvala, OSA member, for being named 2010 MacArthur Foundation Fellows. The MacArthur Fellowship program recognizes individuals “who have shown extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits and a marked capacity for self-direction.” Fellows receive a “no-strings-attached” stipend of $500,000 to be paid over the course of five years.
Lipson is an Associate Professor at the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Cornell University. As an optical physicist, Lipson works at the intersection of fundamental photonics and silicon fabrication engineering to develop devices that harness the information-processing capabilities of light. While attending the Latin America Optics and Photonics Conference (LAOP) in Brazil which is sponsored by the Brazilian Physics Society (SBF) in partnership with the Optical Society (OSA), Lipson said of the fellowship: “I was alone in the airport when it was announced but I knew I was flying to meet my friends in Recife which added to my excitement. I really am thrilled to be here to enjoy this moment with my colleagues at LAOP. I am so happy to be able to celebrate this award with my OSA friends and family.”
Mavalvala is a Professor of Physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Mavalvala’s research links the world of quantum mechanics, normally apparent only at the atomic scale, with some of the most powerful, yet elusive, forces in the cosmos.
