2018 OSA Ambassador Yaseera Ismail is a postdoctoral research in the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal. She received a master of science in Physics, Cum Laude in 2011 based at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Pretoria, South Africa and reached a doctorate degree in 2015 in the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal within the Quantum Research Group.  She has worked in the field optics going on 9 years, be it classical or quantum optics. Her current research activities are devoted to quantum optics in particular focusing on quantum communication and the development of the quantum enabled technologies. She is also working in the experimental development of South Africa’s first cold atoms system.

She has been an active member of the OSA since 2009 when she was based at the CSIR. She was also the founding president of OSA Student Chapter in Durban, South Africa (2012) and is currently the Chapter advisor. During the 9 years she has been affiliated with the OSA she has participated in numerous IONS Workshops and the initiator of a number of traveling lecturer programs through the Chapter in Durban. She has been involved in several outreach programs which includes the Public Understanding of Laser Science and Engineering (PULSE) outreach Program from 2009 - 2010 and judging the Eskom Expo for Young Scientist and Engineers since 2012. She was invited to represent South Africa at the UNESCO International Year of Light Opening Ceremony in 2015 and have contributed to the Bright Futures Optics and Photonics news for careers in optics.  Dr. Ismail is also a member of the OSA Early Career Program and awarded a TechWomen Emerging Leader in 2016.