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OSA News Releases

Welcome to the OSA News Releases page. This page contains news from the Optical Society, including research highlights from OSA's journals, conference news, award announcements and more. Sort releases by category below to see all the news releases in a particular area.

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News Releases

Infrared Digital Holography Allows Firefighters to See Through Flames, Image Moving People
26 February 2013
Firefighters put their lives on the line in some of the most dangerous conditions on Earth. One of their greatest challenges, however, is seeing through thick veils of smoke and walls of flame to find people in need of rescue. A team of Italian researchers has developed a new imaging technique that uses infrared (IR) digital holography to peer through chaotic conflagrations and capture potentially lifesaving and otherwise hidden details. The team describes its breakthrough results and their applications in a paper published today in the Optical Society’s (OSA) open-access journal Optics Express.
OSA Organizes ‘Week of Action’ for Scientific Community as Sequester Nears
25 February 2013
The Optical Society (OSA) today announced it will organize a “week of action” for the scientific community beginning today in preparation for the across-the-board U.S. federal spending reductions, known as the sequester, set to take effect March 1.
The Optical Society Launches Optics & Photonics China Website
22 February 2013
The Optical Society (OSA) today announced the launch of its new Optics and Photonics China website, a resource that features information on the region’s optics and photonics scientific and technology innovations, news, people and organizations.
OSA Foundation Announces 2013 Corning Student Paper Competition Finalists
21 February 2013
The OSA Foundation and Corning Incorporated today announced the finalists of the Corning Outstanding Student Paper Competition, which recognizes student leaders in the field of optical communications. The winners will be announced at this year’s Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exposition/National Fiber Optic Engineers Conference (OFC/NFOEC) at the Anaheim Convention Center, March 17 – 21, in Anaheim, Calif.
New Imaging Device That Is Flexible, Flat, and Transparent
20 February 2013
Digital cameras, medical scanners, and other imaging technologies have advanced considerably during the past decade. Continuing this pace of innovation, an Austrian research team has developed an entirely new way of capturing images based on a flat, flexible, transparent, and potentially disposable polymer sheet.
OSA Announces Editorial Board for New Photonics Research Journal
19 February 2013
The Optical Society (OSA) today announced the editorial board members for Photonics Research, its newest peer-reviewed, open-access journal in partnership with the Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics (SIOM) and Chinese Laser Press (CLP).
Three OSA Members Elected to National Academy of Engineering
13 February 2013
Three members of the Optical Society (OSA) were named new members of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering (NAE) last week. Being elected to the NAE is one of the highest professional honors in the engineering community. The three OSA members were among the 69 new members and 11 foreign associates elected by the NAE this year.
OSA Applauds President Obama's Focus on Manufacturing, Education and Innovation in State of the Union Address
13 February 2013
The Optical Society (OSA) today commended U.S. President Barack Obama for his commitment to science education, funding for research and development (R&D), manufacturing innovation, and energy technologies in yesterday’s State of the Union address.
OSA Presents 2013 Advocate of Optics Recognition to U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu
08 February 2013
The Optical Society (OSA) presented its 2013 Advocate of Optics recognition to U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu yesterday. Chu was recognized at a reception as part of OSA’s annual two-day Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C. Chu was chosen as OSA’s 2013 Advocate of Optics for “public policy leadership and efforts in support of the advancement of the science of light,” particularly his efforts in increasing investments for photovoltaics, LEDs, and other optics-based energy technologies.
Optical Communications Pioneer Tingye Li to be Honored at OFC/NFOEC 2013
31 January 2013
The organizers of the 2013 Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exposition/National Fiber Optic Engineers Conference (OFC/NFOEC) have announced a special symposium in honor of Tingye Li to take place March 18 at the conference in Anaheim, Calif.