Two students advised by Prof. Ron Driggers were selected for Awards at the SPIE Defense + Commercial Sensing 2024 Conference in April 2024. Jordan Rubis, PhD Student, was selected for the SPIE Infrared Imaging Systems 2024 Young Researcher Innovation Award. Luke Somerville, PhD Student, was selected for the SPIE 2024 Infrared Imaging Systems Best Presentation. 

Three Wyant College of Optical Sciences PhD students, all advised by Travis Sawyer, Assistant Professor of Optical Sciences, have had their research featured on prominent journals' covers. Justina Bonaventura's article was published in the May 2024 issue of SPIE's peer-reviewed Journal of Biomedical Optics. Noelle Daigle's and Shuyuan Guan's work was featured in the May/June 2024 issue of BioPhotonics, a news journal published by Photonics Spectra. 

Wyant College of Optical Sciences alumnus, Lee Giles (MS 1977 and PhD 1981), was ranked 183 globally and 111 in the U.S. in the Research.com 2023 Ranking of Best Scientists in Computer Science. Today Dr. Giles is the David Reese Professor of Information Sciences and Technology at Pennsylvania State University, College of Information Sciences and Technology. This prestigious recognition highlights his significant contributions to information retrieval, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, with 626 publications and 49,292 citations. Congratulations to Dr. Giles on this outstanding achievement!

Congratulations to Chuan Luo, PhD student, for receiving a $4,000 scholarship from SPIE for 2024. This recognition, part of SPIE’s $303,000 distribution to 72 exceptional student members this year, highlights Chuan's outstanding potential in optics and photonics. Chuan is advised by Yuzuru Takashima, Professor of Optical Sciences. 

Students and Alumni from the Wyant College of Optical Sciences participated as volunteers in the recent International Day of Light Celebration on May 19 at the Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium. 

The Class of 2024 celebrated their graduation and induction into Wyant College's distinguished alumni ranks on May 9th, 2024. Congratulations to the graduating students, their families, instructors, and advisors. High-resolution images are available.

It is with great pleasure that the Wyant College of Optical Sciences announces that two Endowed Chairs in Optical Sciences have been awarded. The establishment of these endowed chairs has been made possible through the generous donations made by Optica and the Thomas R. Brown Family Foundation, and the $20+ million matching pledge made by the late founding dean of the college, Emeritus Professor James C. Wyant, and his family.

The University of Arizona James C. Wyant College of Optical Sciences announced a $2 million donation from Murray and Kamie Sargent to establish the Murray Sargent III Endowed Chair in Quantum Optics.  This endowment will provide support to a faculty member specializing in the increasingly impactful field of quantum optics. 

Lily McKenna and Carolyn Hokin, Wyant College of Optical Sciences students, were named by Optica Foundation among the twenty exceptional Optica Women Scholars for 2024. Optica describes the program saying it, "provides visibility, community, and resources for women in optics and photonics via financial support, professional development, and establishing a global network as they enter the field. The scholarship is awarded based on need, academic performance, and demonstrated potential." Each of the twenty scholars recognized will receive a US$10,000 scholarship, allowing them to focus on their academic goals. Additionally, the scholars are granted a year of membership with Optica as well as paired with Optica mentors. Congratulations Lily and Carolyn!

What if your earbuds could do everything your smartphone can do already, except better? What sounds a bit like science fiction may actually not be so far off. A new class of synthetic materials could herald the next revolution of wireless technologies, enabling devices to be smaller, require less signal strength and use less power.