David Richardson Medal
The David Richardson Medal recognizes those who have made significant contributions to optical engineering, primarily in the commercial and industrial sector. In establishing this prize, OSA honors the unique contributions to applied optics made by David Richardson, who received the first award in 1966 for his distinctive contributions to the ruling and replicating of gratings.
This award is endowed through the OSA Foundation by contributions from individuals including Gary Duck.
View the current David Richardson Medal Selection Committee.
Winners
2018 -
Steve Frisken
[Citation]
For seminal contributions as a researcher, inventor and entrepreneur, to a wide range of photonic technologies which have enabled the growth of the internet, and for inspiring an entrepreneurial culture amongst Australian researchers.
2017 -
John Canning
[Citation]
For seminal scientific and engineering contributions in fundamental and applied photonics across materials, devices, systems and instrumentation, and for translating these into industry.
2016 -
Francisco J. Duarte
[Citation]
For seminal contributions to the physics and technology of multiple-prism arrays for narrow-linewidth tunable laser oscillators and laser pulse compression.
2015 -
Daniel R Neal
[Citation]
For innovative technical leadership in the design, fabrication, and commercialization of wavefront sensing devices
2014 -
Jannick P. Rolland
[Citation]
For visionary contributions and leadership in optical design and engineering, enabling noninvasive, optical biopsy
2012 -
Gregory W. Forbes
[Citation]
For seminal contributions in the areas of aberration theory, asymmetric optical system design, and manufacturing for aspheres
2011 -
Ishwar D. Aggarwal
[Citation]
For pioneering work leading to the development of infrared fiber and transparent ceramics
2011 -
Jasbinder S. Sanghera
[Citation]
For pioneering work leading to the development of infrared fiber and transparent ceramics
2010 -
Kenneth E. Moore
[Citation]
For the development of state-of-the-art optical design and analysis software combining the capabilities required by the expert designer and the ease of use and accessibility needed for an occasional optics analysis user
2009 -
Eric Udd
[Citation]
For developments associated with fiber optic sensor technology including measurement of rotation, acoustics, pressure, temperature, and strain as well as contributions to the field of fiber optic smart structures
2008 -
Kanti Jain
[Citation]
For pioneering contributions to the development of high-resolution optical microlithography technologies, especially for the invention and development of excimer laser lithography and systems for production of microelectronic devices
2007 -
James L. Fergason
[Citation]
For outstanding contributions to the understanding of the physics and optics of liquid crystals, and particularly to his pioneering contributions to liquid crystal display technology
2006 -
Gary S Duck
[Citation]
For innovation and leadership in the development and manufacture of optical components and instrumentation for the realization of practical and reliable wavelength-division-multiplexed optical fiber telecommunications systems
2005 -
John R. Sandercock
[Citation]
For pioneering work in developing the multi-pass Tandem Fabry-Perot Spectrometer and for contributions to the Brillouin spectroscopy of surfaces, interfaces, and thin films
2004 -
Chungte W. Chen
[Citation]
For remarkable achievements in applying diffractive optical elements to the design of classical and conformal optical systems to obtain wide fields of view along with excellent aberration correction
2003 -
Roland V. Shack
[Citation]
For numerous contributions to optical engineering, including the invention of the Shack-Hartmann sensor and the Shack cube interferometer
2002 -
Arthur H. Guenther
[Citation]
For pioneering contributions and continued leadership in the study of laser-induced damage of optical materials, and for exemplary guidance in enabling the infrastructure for technical optics development
2001 -
Huib Visser
[Citation]
For innovative designs of complex optical space instrumentation which have given fresh impulses to the application of geometrical optics integrated with sound thermo-mechanical design
2000 -
Achim J. Leistner
[Citation]
For the development of novel optical fabrication techniques and the design improvement of optical test equipment. By refining the Teflon lap polishing technique and performing research into the mechanism of optical polishing, he has improved the quality and precision of superpolished optical surfaces, pushing the accuracy of shapes and surface roughness down to nearly atomic dimensions
1999 -
Milan R. Kokta
[Citation]
For the development of low loss, high optical quality laser crystals, particularly Ti-doped sapphire
1998 -
Yoshiharu Namba
[Citation]
In recognition of his significant contributions to the development of novel but practical techniques, specifically float polishing and ultraprecision grinding, for producing super smooth surfaces on optical materials.
1997 -
Brian H. Welham
[Citation]
For having provided technical leadership in pioneering the development and commercialization of aspheric lens technology. His efforts have led to methods of mass manufacture and assembly of hybrid glass-plastic lens systems that have made possible the growth of the projection television industry
1996 -
J. A. Dobrowolski
[Citation]
For contributions to the invention and development of optical thin film security coatings for the protection of documents and paper currency
1995 -
Julian Stone
[Citation]
For leadership in the advancement of lightwave component and optical measurement techniques
1994 -
David A. Markle
[Citation]
For his leadership in the development of several generations of 1X projection systems for photolithography
1993 -
John H. Bruning
[Citation]
For the development and implementation of phase shifting interferometry and contributions to projection lithography
1992 -
Ichiro Kitano
[Citation]
For his invention of the radial gradient-index lens array and its application to photocopiers, facsimile scanners, and printers
1991 -
Gary K. Starkweather
[Citation]
For contributions to the technology of laser xerography printing and to the realization of practical laser printers
1990 -
Jean M. Bennett
[Citation]
For her sustained contributions to the studies of optical surfaces that have provided the optics community with a more thorough understanding of optical surface phenomenology and a meticulous methodology for surface characterization
1989 -
Erik W. Anthon
[Citation]
For his creative solutions to difficult technical problems evidenced by photometers, scatterometers, and interferometers that have significantly advanced the state of the art of optical instrumentation
1988 -
Janusz S. Wilczynski
[Citation]
For contributions to the design and utilization of optics suitable for the manufacturing of semiconductors
1987 -
John W. Evans
[Citation]
For a lifetime of constant devotion to the advancement of technical optics through an understanding of optical principles and the creative application of these principles to novel and original designs of optical instrumentation
1986 -
John L. Plummer
[Citation]
For your contributions to the advancement of the state of the art of optical fabrication by invention, by imagination, by example, and by generously sharing your talents with others in the field
1985 -
Norman John Brown
[Citation]
For extensive pioneering work, both experimental and theoretical, on the mechanisms of optical polishing
1984 -
Erwin G. Loewen
[Citation]
For his many contributions to the science, technology, and applications of both conventional and holographic diffraction gratings and for his documentation of progress of this field in the scientific and engineering literature
1983 -
Harold Osterberg
[Citation]
For a career spanning 40 years of research in physical optics, particularly his contributions to the development of the phase microscope and his seminal contributions to integrated optics
1982 -
Charles A. Burrus
[Citation]
In recognition of his development of ingenious laboratory techniques to fabricate microscopic devices such as millimeter-wave diodes, infrared semiconductor lasers, light-emitting diodes and detectors, and single-crystal fiber and film lasers.
1981 -
Abe Offner
[Citation]
No formal citation, refer to Optics News 1981/Vol.7, No.1/Page 33.
1980 -
William T. Plummer
[Citation]
For his outstanding program leadership and innovative optical design, his fundamental studies and creative tooling that made possible the accurate and economical high-volume manufacture of the unusual optical system of the SX-70 camera
1980 -
Richard F. Weeks
[Citation]
For his outstanding program leadership and innovative optical design, his fundamental studies and creative tooling that made possible the accurate and economical high-volume manufacture of the unusual optical system of the SX-70 camera
1979 -
William P. Ewald
[Citation]
For his numerous contributions to applied optics, particularly to the fields of projection and stereoscopy, as well as his inspired service as a teacher and consultant both within the Eastman Kodak Company and to the optics community in general
1978 -
Thomas James Johnson
[Citation]
For his notable contributions to applied optics through the design and manufacture of high-quality, low-cost Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes
1977 -
Walter P. Siegmund
[Citation]
No formal citation, refer to Optics News/Winter 1977/Page 22.
1976 -
John McLeod
[Citation]
In recognition of his significant contributions to applied optics.
1975 -
Karl Lambrecht
No citation available
1974 -
Roderic M. Scott
No citation available
1972 -
William G. Fastie
No citation available
1971 -
Frank Cooke
No citation available
1970 -
Richard S. Hunter
No citation available
1969 -
Howard Cary
No citation available
1968 -
Harold E. Edgerton
No citation available
1967 -
George A. Morton
No citation available
1966 -
David J. Richardson
No citation available