We are excited to announce that Dr. Michal Lipson, Eugene Higgins Professor at Columbia University, USA, has been elected by OSA members to serve as the society’s 2021 Vice President. Two directors-at-large were also elected to serve on the Board for the 2021-2023 term. Dr. Joyce Poon – Director of the Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics, Professor at University of Toronto, Canada and an Honorary Professor at the Technical University of Berlin, Germany; and Dr. Ulrike Woggon – Professor of Experimental Physics at the Institute for Optics and Atomic Physics of the Technical University Berlin, Germany. Learn more about these new board members.

 The all-virtual OSA Frontiers in Optics and Laser Science APS/DLS Conference (FiO + LS) and OSA Quantum 2.0 Conference held 14 – 17th of September drew over 8,000 registrants worldwide. Technical presentations showcased advances in quantum technologies and Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality (AR/VR). Nergis Mavalvala of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA described the optical technology that enabled the detection of gravitational waves and Federico Capasso of Harvard University, USA discussed recent work on controlling light’s angular momentum from lasers. Five Visionary Talks were presented, including Elizabeth Baron of Unity Technologies, USA; her talk focused on the use of AR/VR technology in the auto industry. Breakthroughs with quantum computing and data security were among the topics for Quantum 2.0 keynote talks. The Luminate Finals 2020 Competition, held 14 September as an FiO + LS  special event, announced the winner of the accelerator program. SunDensity, a Massachusetts-based company, received the top prize of US$ 1 million to scale up its business and technology. SunDensity enhances energy output of solar panels with Photonic Smart Coating (PSC). PSC improves the efficiency of opto-electronic devices, such as solar cells by enhancing and shaping the spectrum of photons, transforming wasted visible light into infrared light. Recordings of technical presentations are available for conference registrants on the FiO + LS and Quantum 2.0 websites for 60 days. Learn more here.

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Register for Free--Access 2 Premier Virtual Technical Conferences & Special Events

OSA Advanced Solid State Lasers Conference

OSA Laser Applications Conference

Join us for the laser industry's premier annual congress--presented live with sessions recorded for on-demand later! The OSA Laser Congress has transitioned to a dynamic new virtual event format--and best of all it's free. Enjoy full access to the Advanced Solid State Lasers Conference AND the Laser Applications Conference—a comprehensive technical program featuring two plenary speakers, more than 40 invited speakers, four tutorials and many contributed talks.

The virtual congress gives you the flexibility to design your own experience. Select what you're most interested in, then watch, read, interact and discover at your own pace. Contributing authors pay a US$ 100 publishing fee.

 View the program and register now.

Call for Nominations – 2021 Advocate of Optics Recognition 

Do you know a public official who has been a champion for optics? Tell us about them. Each year, OSA’s Advocate of Optics Recognition commends an outstanding public official who demonstrates leadership in support of the advancement of the science of light. The Public Policy Council is soliciting nominations from OSA members and will select a candidate based on their commitment to science and science policy, level of familiarity with optics and photonics, level of interaction with OSA or OSA members in the past year, and record of consistent support of science, optics, and photonics.The deadline for submitting recommendations for the 2021 Advocate of Optics is 23 October 2020

The Optical Society’s Awards Program spans all areas of optics and photonics, as well as contributions made through service, business, education and leadership. This is an ideal opportunity to recognize the outstanding achievements of your colleagues. Please see our online award category guide to determine the most appropriate recognition. OSA serves a diverse and inclusive community worldwide. Nominees that reflect and support this diversity across all areas including gender, race, educational/institutional background and geography are especially encouraged. Nominations for most awards are due 1 October 2020.

Applications for the 2021 class will be open from 15 October to 15 November 2020 so don’t forget to apply!

The OSA Ambassador Program provides career advice, technical knowledge, and mentorship for the OSA student and early career professional community. To learn more about the program visit osa.org/Ambassador

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