January 2016 | Optica

Membership

In this issue: OSA’s Centennial Celebration, New OSA Editors-in-Chiefs, NAI Fellows and Award Winners Announced, OFC Industry Events, Lecturer Opportunities and more.

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OSA News
Opportunities
Industry
OSA Publishing News
Upcoming Deadlines
Meetings Calendar

OSA News

OSA Launches Centennial Celebration

In case you missed the countdown, The Optical Society kicked off its 100th anniversary year on 1 January 2016. The osa.org/100 website features iconic moments in optics history, OSA Member videos and stories, student chapter tools and a calendar of events. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, & LinkedIn for updates; and share your favorite memory with OSA by emailing 100years@osa.org, writing on our Facebook page or tweeting using #OSA100. After all, the Centennial is about YOU. Join the celebration!

Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson Honored With The National Medal of Science

The White House announced that President Barack Obama has selected OSA Member, Shirley Ann Jackson, Ph.D., to receive the National Medal of Science, the highest honor for scientific achievement bestowed by the United States government. The award recognizes individuals deserving of special recognition for their outstanding cumulative contributions to knowledge in the physical, biological, mathematical, engineering, behavioral or social sciences, in service to the nation. The Optical Society congratulates Dr. Jackson on this monumental achievement.

The Optical Society Applauds Senator Coons for Support of 2015 as the International Year of Light

The Optical Society (OSA) congratulates Senator Chris Coons, Democrat from Delaware, for recognizing the International Year of Light. The statement reaffirms the crucial role optics and photonics play in the U.S. economy and everyday life. It also recognizes the importance of continued investment in fundamental optics and photonics research and applauds the people of the United States for participating in the International Year of Light through local programs, activities and ceremonies.

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The Optical Society Congratulates 12 Members Elected as 2015 National Academy of Inventors Fellows

The National Academy of Inventors (NAI) elected 12 OSA Members to its 2015 NAI Fellows on 15 December 2015. The award recognizes innovators that have made positive contributions to the world and U.S. economy and includes: 27 Nobel laureates, 27 inductees to the National Inventors Hall of Fame and 32 recipients of the U.S. National Medal of Technology and Innovation and
U.S. National Medal of Science.

OSA’s newly elected fellows will join 156 other scientific luminaries at a formal induction
on 15 April 2016 at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria, Virginia, US.

* To view the full listing of 168 NAI Fellows visit: The National Academy of Inventors.

Recipient of the 2016 Herbert Walther Award

The Optical Society and the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft (DPG) are proud to announce that the 2016 Herbert Walther Award will be presented to Peter Zoller, Universität Innsbruck, Austria, for pioneering discoveries and development of new interdisciplinary quantum science that unifies quantum optics, atomic, molecular, optical and condensed matter.

The Herbert Walther Award honors Professor Herbert Walther for the seminal influence of his ground-breaking innovations in quantum optics and atomic physics, and for his wide-ranging contributions to the international scientific community. The award recognizes distinguished contributions in quantum optics and atomic physics as well as leadership in the international scientific community. The award is jointly made by OSA and DPG, and presented by each society in alternate years. DPG will present the 2016 award to Dr. Zoller.

Past OSA President Janet Fender Among the 2015 Presidential Rank Award Winners

Annually, the President selects a very small cadre of Civilian Senior Executives to receive a Presidential Rank Award in recognition for their long-term accomplishments in providing exceptional service to the American people. The recipients of this prestigious award are outstanding leaders who consistently demonstrate strength, integrity and a relentless commitment to public service. The Optical Society congratulates Dr. Janet Fender, past OSA President, on this esteemed honor. Janet hopes that her accomplishments will inspire women to pursue their career goals in optics and photonics and to be recognized for their achievements in the field.

George Stegeman Memorial Symposium

7-8 January 2016, 8:30 – 15:30 EST

This symposium is dedicated to the legacy and memory of Dr. George Ian Stegeman. Professor Stegeman joined the UCF faculty in 1990 and was the first recipient of the Cobb Family Chair in Optical Sciences and Engineering at UCF. He was a Fellow of the Optical Society and the American Physical Society (APS). Dr. Stegeman received OSA's R.W. Wood Prize, the Hertzberg Medal for achievement in Physics of the Canadian Associate of Physics and UCF's Researcher of the Year award. He received his PhD from the University of Toronto, along with honorary doctorates from NRS University in Canada and INAOE in Mexico.

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OSA Visit to Asia Communications and Photonics Conference (ACP) 2015

In November, past OSA President Philip Russell, CEO Elizabeth Rogan and Deputy Executive Director Elizabeth Nolan attended ACP 2015 in Hong Kong. Russell greeted attendees during the opening ceremony, gave an invited tutorial and presented OSA Best Poster Prizes to Binbin Yan from Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, China, and Odile Liboiron-Ladouceur from McGill University, Canada. The OSA delegation also visited with the OSA Student Chapter at the City University of Hong Kong.

Congratulations OSA Student Prize Winners

The Optical Society recognized student research excellence during the Optics & Photonics Taiwan, International Conference (OPTIC 2015) and the Annual Meeting of the Taiwan Photonics Society held at National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan, in December 2015. OSA Director at Large, Xi-Cheng Zhang (The Institute of Optics, University of Rochester) presented prizes to:

Cheng-Ting Tsai, National Taiwan University
Yu-Han Hung, National Cheng Kung University
Hsin-Yu Wu, National Chiao Tung University
Yu-Hsiang Wen, National Tsing Hua University
Jing-Chi Du, National Sun Yat-sen University
Shiuan Yun Li, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology
Chen-Yu Chien, National Chiao Tung University

Opportunities

Attention OSA Fellows – Be Our 100th Lecturer in OSA’s 100th Year!

Deadline: 13 January 2016

The OSA Fellow Lecturer Program has been sending Fellows to developing nations to help foster optics programs for over a decade. Each year, OSA’s International Council awards approximately six (6) grants to OSA Fellows visiting and lecturing in developing nations. As OSA celebrates its 100th anniversary, the Fellow Lecturer Program will be sending its 100th lecturer abroad – and it could be you! Submit your applications to be considered.

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Traveling Lecturer Spotlight: Di Liang

Di Liang
Research Scientist
Hewlett Packard Labs
Palo Alto, California, US
OSA Member

“It has been a great honor and pleasure to be an OSA Traveling Lecturer. I was particularly excited to have my first speaker opportunity be at my alma mater. Through this program, I have been able to share my research and closely interact with students and professors to exchange ideas and build a bridge for future collaboration. Without the support and connection from OSA, it would have been impossible to pursue such an exciting and rewarding experience. I am grateful for OSA programs and the professional support the organization has given me. I am looking forward to my next OSA Student Chapter visit and Traveling Lecturer experience.” Find out more about this program>>

Grants Available for Global Meetings

Deadline: 13 January 2016

The OSA International Council is accepting proposals for co-sponsorship of the 2016 meetings taking place in developing nations. Priority will be given to new meetings/events. Financial support is not intended to fully underwrite a meeting and should be used for student prizes or to directly support the student, invited speaker and/or attendee participation.

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6th Workshop on Entrepreneurship for Scientists and Engineers from Developing Countries

30 March – 5 April 2016
International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste, Italy

Application Deadline: 7 January 2016
The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), with the co-sponsorship of the American Physical Society (APS) and the Institute of Physics (lOP), will organize this one-week intensive Workshop, designed for physicists and engineers from developing countries who are interested in learning entrepreneurial skills to commercialize their scientific inventions. There is no registration fee.

Candidates can access the online application from the activity website or contact the WORKSHOP SECRETARIAT Ms. Nicoletta Ivanissevich at e-mail: smr2815@ictp.it

Industry

Shine a Spotlight on Your New Company’s Technology in OFC’s START UP Pavilion

Application Deadline: 15 January 2016

New in 2016, The Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exhibition (OFC) will recognize innovative technology startups that are positioned to make a future impact on the industry. The OFC START UP Pavilion will showcase cutting-edge optics and photonics entrepreneurs to the industry’s most iconic companies and its most prestigious audience of over 13,000 professionals from around the globe.

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Plan Your 2016 Strategy: Exclusive Industry Reports Available to OSA Industry Development Associates Members

Download our newest industry reports and develop your winning strategy for 2016 and beyond. Recent reports include a Market Update on optical communications, disposable optical biosensors and civilian and military surveillance imaging; a second Market Update on optical communications, early-stage companies and an EPIC-Tematys executive summary; and a report on photonics technologies for ADAS in the automotive industry. All OSA Industry Development Associates (OIDA) Members have free access to all reports.

We encourage OIDA members to browse the Publication Library to see the content that is available.

Is your company not yet a member of OIDA? Learn more about the benefits of membership.

Two Special Industry Events at OFC

Going to OFC? OSA Industry Development Associates (OIDA) is presenting two special all-day events this year. You are invited and encouraged to attend both of these events. Please note that a separate registration is required. Special discounts are available until 22 February.

OSA Executive Forum
21 March 2016 at OFC in Anaheim, California, US

This is the premier annual event for leaders in optical networking and communications. Meet executives from Google, Microsoft, Verizon, Facebook, Broadcom and more. OSA Executive Forum is your exclusive opportunity to hear insider perspectives in an uncensored environment, while participating in high-level networking. Learn more about the program and the speakers who will participate in this forum. Register Now

OIDA Workshop on Integrated Photonics High Volume Packaging,
20 Mar 2016 at OFC in Anaheim, California, US

Attend this workshop and get a deep look at integrated photonics high volume packaging. Learn about new opportunities for your company. Network with top experts in the field. Attend three presentation sessions, one discussion session, lunch, poster display and a special evening networking event. Learn more about the program and the speakers who will participate in this forum. Register Now

These two events are presented by OSA Industry Development Associates and are open to all OFC registrants-but require a separate registration. While at OFC, please stop by the OSA booth and learn more about OSA Industry Development Associates and the benefits of membership.

Who Cares about Small Photonics Companies?

The short answer is that OSA cares. OSA Industry Development Associates (OIDA) estimates that about 90-95% of U.S. optics and photonics companies are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The estimate is a little fuzzy because the definition for “small and medium-sized enterprise” (SME) vary from government to government. It usually means a company with less than 250 or 500 employees, and/or less than € 50M or $100M in revenues.

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OSA Publishing News

In the January 2016 OPN: Kicking Off the OSA Centennial

This month in Optics & Photonics News, in addition to features on group IV photonics and imaging through multimode fiber, we offer a number of articles to mark the start of OSA’s 2016 Centennial celebration.

Check out the issue.

Alexandra Boltasseva Assumes Role of Optical Materials Express Editor-in-Chief

OPN OSA Publishing welcomes Alexandra Boltasseva as the new Editor-in-Chief of Optical Materials Express (OMEx). Boltasseva is an Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Purdue University and an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Photonics Engineering at the Technical University of Denmark. She is an OSA Fellow and Academic Advisor of the OSA Purdue University Student Chapter, and she has served as a Topical Editor for Optics Letters. Boltasseva takes over this role from David J. Hagan, who has served as the Founding Editor-in-Chief of the Journal since 2011.

Christoph Hitzenberger Becomes New Editor-in-Chief of Biomedical Optics Express

OPN OSA Publishing welcomes Christoph Hitzenberger as the new Editor-in-Chief of Biomedical Optics Express (BOEx). Hitzenberger is an Associate Professor of Medical Physics at the Medical University of Vienna, where he also serves as the Vice Head of the Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering. Hitzenberger is an OSA Fellow and is very active within the organization. He was an Optics Express Associate Editor, a BOEx Advisory Editor and currently serves as Chair for the Optical Tomography and Spectroscopy Program Committee for the BIOMED 2016 conference and Chair of the Michael S. Feld Biophotonics Award Committee. Hitzenberger takes over this position from Joseph Izatt, who successfully led the Journal as Founding
Editor-in-Chief since 2010.

P. Scott Carney Assumes Role of Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of the Optical Society of America A

OPN OSA Publishing is pleased to welcome P. Scott Carney as the new Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the Optical Society of America A (JOSA A). Carney is a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Director of the Optical Science Group at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Carney is an OSA Fellow and has served as Deputy Editor of JOSA A since 2014. Prior to his position as Deputy Editor, he served as a Topical Editor for JOSA A and Program Chair of OSA’s Frontiers in Optics Program Committee from 2013-2014. Carney takes over the editorial role from Franco Gori, who successfully led the Journal for 6 years.

OSA’s First Journal Helps Celebrate the Society’s Centennial

To commemorate OSA’s Centennial, OSA Publishing is launching a website highlighting the Society’s first publication, Journal of the Optical Society of America (JOSA), as well as its spinoffs, JOSA A and JOSA B.

The website will include a wide range of historical editorials, bios of all Editors-in-Chief and a listing of all associate editors over the last 99 years, the most cited articles from all 3 titles, newly published perspective articles, and more. The website will be live the week of 11 January. Visit the website throughout the year for new content.