Optica mourns the passing of these distinguished colleagues.
Sunday, April 7, 2024
Joseph Izatt, Optica Fellow, Edwin H. Land Medal recipient, and long-time Optica volunteer, passed away on 7 April 2024. Izatt was the Michael J. Fitzpatrick Professor of Engineering and chair of Duke’s Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME), Duke University, USA. Izatt was a volunteer leader who helped shape and strengthen Optica’s conferences, publications, and overall
Tuesday, February 27, 2024
Robert N. Compton, Optica Fellow and William F. Meggers Award recipient, passed away on 27 February 2024 at the age of 85. He was known for his research in atomic and molecular physics, particularly in nonlinear laser spectroscopy and the physics of negative ions.Born in Metropolis, Illinois, on 28 November 1938, his early fascination with science led him to take apart a radio to understand
Friday, February 23, 2024
Dr. Michael Kajeton Barnoski passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family on February 23, 2024 in Newport Beach, California. He was born in Williamsport, Pennsylvania on August 19, 1940, and spent his formative years in Elmira, New York. He attended University of Dayton where he received his BS in Electrical Engineering and received his Master’s and PhD Degrees in
Tuesday, February 13, 2024
Andrew Weiner, Optica Fellow, former Editor in Chief of Optics Express, and recipient of the RW Wood Prize passed away on 13 February 2024 at the age of 65. He was an active volunteer for Optica and the optics and photonics community, having served in leadership roles in publications, conferences, and governance. Weiner was most known for his work in ultrafast optics, high-speed fiber
Sunday, January 21, 2024
Sae Woo Nam, Optica Fellow and pioneer in single-photon detectors, passed away on 21 January 2024, at the age of 53. While at the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Nam and his colleagues developed a technique using superconducting detectors at ultracold temperatures, which became the most efficient single-photon detector in 2010. Nam was internationally recognized for his
Saturday, January 6, 2024
Dennis G. Hall, former faculty member and director of the Institute of Optics at the University of Rochester, and later Vice Provost for Research and Dean of the Graduate School at Vanderbilt university passed away on January 6, 2024. Dennis served in many roles at OSA/Optica, including serving on the board of directors, as instructor of many short courses, and as a mentor to both his
Friday, December 8, 2023
James C. Wyant, 2010 Optica President, Optica Honorary Member, and recipient of the Frederic Ives Medal/Jarus W. Quinn Prize, passed away on 8 December 2023 at the age of 80. Wyant was an academic leader, entrepreneur, educator, and philanthropist. Over the course of his 57 years of Optica membership, Wyant served in numerous volunteer roles, including being elected President (2010) and
Friday, October 20, 2023
Richard M. Osgood Jr., Optica Fellow, volunteer and awardee of the R. W. Wood Prize, passed away on 20 October 2023. He was most known for his work in condensed matter and chemical physics of surfaces, laser technology, and nano-optics and serving in the United States Air Force. Osgood was born in Kansas City, Missouri, on 28 December 1943. He attended Winchester High School, where he was
Sunday, October 1, 2023
Adrianus (Adrian) Korpel, Optica Fellow and educator, passed away on 1 October 2023 in Oro Valley, Arizona, at the age of 91. He was most known for his contributions to the fields of acousto-optics and electrical engineering and for inventing Bragg Diffraction Imaging, an optical technique for sound field visualization.Korpel was born on 18 February 1932, in Rotterdam, Netherlands. He grew up
