OSA NEWS

December 18, 2003

OSA Member Wins NATO Prize

OSA Member, Dr. Leonard John Otten, III, received a significant honor from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Dr. Otten and his partner, Dr. Larichev (Russia), were presented the NATO Science Partnership Prize by NATO Secretary General, Lord Robertson on October 22, when they were recognized for collaboration on the development of a high-resolution imaging system. For the first time, this system enables doctors and scientist to see features in a living human eye that had previously only been observed in dissected organs. The new imaging device also has potential applications in medicine, personal identification for security and counter-terrorism.

Launched in 2002, the NATO Science Partnership Prize is awarded jointly to two scientists - one from a NATO country and one from a partner or Mediterranean dialogue country - who have collaborated through the NATO Science Program. The award is designed to recognize excellence in scientific collaboration between partner/Mediterranean dialogue and NATO country scientists in certain activities supported by the NATO Science Program. The award consists of a cash prize of €10,000 per recipient to support research activity, as well as a special crystal memento and a certificate.

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 .