Wyant College of Optical Sciences News

Liam Frank is a physics PhD student in the College of Science, specializing in research housed in the Wyant College of Optical Sciences with Prof. Jason Jones' lab. However, Liam's talent extends beyond the lab and into the pool as a UArizona club athlete on the Club Water Polo team. For April Liam was named the Student Athlete of the Month! Congratulations, Liam!

The month of March is Women's History Month, a time set aside to celebrate the contributions women have made throughout history in a variety of fields. Over the last few weeks, the Wyant College of Optical Sciences has celebrated a few of the many women in the sciences who have made significant contributions to our world. Take a moment to learn more about each of these women.

The first UArizona Museum Day was a huge success for all participating museums on campus! The Wyant College of Optical Sciences had its doors open from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. on March 23rd and saw many excited visitors interested in learning more about the mysteries and history of optical sciences. A special thank you to all the amazing volunteers who made this day possible!

At the recent 2024 Wavefront Congress, the late Professor Emeritus Jim Schwiegerling, Robert Shannon Endowed Chair in Optical Sciences, was remembered in a special presentation led by two alumni that he advised. The presentation given on March 8, 2024 was called, "Jim Schwiegerling: The Nicest Professor in the College Also Happens to be Brilliant" and was organized and given by Nathan Lewis, PhD (OSC 2011) and Deanna Moschitta, MS (OSC 2022).

SPIE and Optica have announced Ronald G. Driggers (University of Arizona), Melvin H. Friedman (George Mason University), John W. Devitt (RVS Tactical Products), Orges Furxhi (imec), and Anjali Singh as the 2024 recipients of the Joseph W. Goodman Book Writing Award for their Introduction to Infrared and Electro-Optical Systems, Third Edition. The professional societies have announced the award via press release. Congratulations, to Prof. Ron Driggers and all the authors of the 2024 Joseph W. Goodman Book Writing Award. 

Wyant College of Optical Sciences worked with nearly 60 high school girls participating in SheTech on March 1st, 2024 to build Pringles Can-Pinhole Cameras at the Tucson Convention Center. City of Tucson Office of Economic Initiatives oversees the annual Arizona SheTech Explorer Day 2024. The day‐long, industry‐led STEM exploration event provides hands‐on, interactive activities in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) for rising 9th through 12th grade girls. A special thank you to the volunteers of this event including Meredith Kupinski, Hillary Mathis, Clarissa DeLeon, Annyun Das and Paola Luna.

The National Academy of Inventors has named five University of Arizona faculty members as Class of 2024 Senior Members, one of which was Saikat Guha, Professor of Optical Sciences and holder of the Nasser Peyghambarian Endowed Chair in Optical Sciences, as well as Director of the NSF Engineering Research Center for Quantum Networks.

Jennifer Kehlet Barton, director of the BIO5 Institute, Thomas R. Brown Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering, and professor of Optical Sciences at the University of Arizona, has officially commenced her role as the 2024 President of SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics. This pivotal appointment solidifies Barton's standing as a trailblazer in her field and marks a significant milestone for the university.

The University of Arizona Alumni Association announced Dr. Kent Rochford as the 2024 Alumnus of the Year for the Wyant College of Optical Sciences. The Alumni of the Year ceremony took place February 22, 2024.

The Wyant College Industrial Affiliates Showcase and Meeting took place Feb. 19 - 21 in Tucson, AZ. The event kicked off with a busy poster session and corporate showcase in the Bear Down Gym. The second day was filled with student and faculty presentations that outlined current Wyant College research. On the final day student interviews took place as well as lab tours and a pizza party punctuated with a few exciting outreach demonstrations courtesy of students from this semester's Outreach Class.