A team of students collaborating from the Takashima Advanced LIDAR and Display Lab and the Willomitzer Computational 3D Imaging and Measurement Lab have been awarded the Best Student Paper Award at the Emerging Digital Micromirror Device Based Systems and Applications XVII conference during SPIE Photonics West 2025. This is the third time students from the College have won this award for their work in LiDAR and AR displays, with previous wins in 2020 and 2022. Congratulations!

Congratulations to alumnus John R. Rogers (OSC PhD 1983) was elected as a 2025 Fellow Member of Optica. Rogers is currently working as a principal scientist with the Optical Solutions Group at Synopsys, Inc., an Industrial Affiliates Partner of the Wyant College of Optical Sciences. Fellow membership in Optica is limited to no more than ten percent of the membership and is reserved for members who have served with distinction in the advancement of optics and photonics.

Congratulations to Daewook Kim, associate professor of optical sciences, and Xiushan Zhu, research professor of optical sciences, who were elected as 2025 Fellow Members of Optica. Fellow membership in Optica is limited to no more than ten percent of the membership and is reserved for members who have served with distinction in the advancement of optics and photonics. 

Arizona Photonics Days continues to be a standout event, and this year was no exception. The Wyant College of Optical Sciences was honored to participate on the final day, hosted at the Grand Challenges Research Building. Dean and Professor Tom Koch delivered an insightful talk and was honored with a special recognition for his outstanding contributions to the Optics Valley community. His leadership continues to inspire growth in our field. A big thank you to all those who took part in the tours of the Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab and the GCRB. These tours provided an incredible behind-the-scenes look at the groundbreaking work happening in optics and photonics, sparking rich discussions and new ideas among attendees.

In this issue of Another Wavelength, we chat with Alia Nichols. Alia is currently a senior pursuing her BS in optical sciences and engineering. Meanwhile, she is representing the optical sciences students in the Associated Students of the University of Arizona (ASUA). Alia is excited to offer all optical sciences students an opportunity to connect with student government to enact real change to campus for the good of all students! Read more about Alia and how she's working to represent you.

OSC alumna, Katie Schwertz (MS 2010), was selected for the 2025 Class of SPIE Fellows. The society is welcoming 47 new fellows from across the globe, including Schwertz, who is currently Sr Manager, Optical Assemblies & Technology, at Edmund Optics as well as Optics Valley Co-Chair. Schwertz was also recently appointed to the Editorial Advisory Board of Photonics Spectra. Edmund Optics shared this news on LinkedIn saying, "With her exceptional technical expertise and in-depth market knowledge, Katie will be a valuable asset to the publication, bringing valuable insights and expertise." Congratulations, Katie!

The Wyant College of Optical Sciences welcomes three new faculty members to the college’s ranks. The incoming faculty bring a diverse collection of exciting research to the college and are looking for students interested in joining their labs. Learn more about Asst. Profs. Weimin Zhou, Yeran Bai and Cris Panda.

The University of Arizona Philanthropy & Alumni Engagement office has announced Dr. Joseph A. Shaw as the 2025 Alumnus of the Year for the Wyant College of Optical Sciences. The Alumni of the Year luncheon will be hosted by the University on Thursday, February 27, 2025.

Before the semester ended Optics for All (OFA) hosted Travis Sawyer, assistant professor of optical sciences, as a community speaker Dec. 9th. Sawyer has a unique experience with the Wyant College of Optical Sciences, because he began at the college as a student. So his talk, "Finding the right advisor and lab: a guide to undergraduate and graduate" hit just right relying on his academic and professional experience! This is a great talk to listen to to learn more about how you can aim for a lab and faculty research advisor that will be just right for you.

Wyant College of Optical Sciences is excited to support the Big Idea Challenge. The Office of Research, Innovation & Impact launched this new initiative to address pressing global challenges through groundbreaking, transdisciplinary research. With a focus on areas like Defense and National Security; Energy and Environmental Sustainability; The Future of Health and Biomedical Sciences; Space Sciences; and Data, Information Systems and Artificial Intelligence, this challenge brings together innovative minds to drive impactful solutions. Selected teams will receive seed funding of up to $125,000 annually for up to two years to catalyze their big idea. This is your opportunity to take part in game-changing research and innovation that tackles regional, national, and global challenges.