Wyant College of Optical Sciences News

Meredith Kupinski has received the NSF CAREER Award for her proposal, "Towards Real-Time Polarimetric Synthesis from Probabilistic Representations." This award is one of the most prestigious honors for pre-tenure faculty, recognizing those who can be academic role models and lead advancements in their field. Prof. Kupinski has since been promoted to Associate Professor of Optical Sciences with tenure. Kupinski said, “all students in this research group: former, current, and future will benefit from this award. Thank you to my colleagues and mentors for bringing out the best in me.”

The Quantum Toolbox project at the University of Arizona's Wyant College of Optical Sciences is an exciting new initiative recently funded through a $25,000 grant from the UArizona Foundation Small Grants Committee. Made possible by the efforts of Dalziel Wilson, Associate Professor of Optical Sciences, and Kaye Rowan, Executive Director of Development, the project creates an independent study course with official enrollment slated for fall 2025. This will be the university's first hands-on quantum course, providing vital experiential learning opportunities for students passionate about quantum science and the growing availability of innovative careers in the quantum field. 

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.

Each spring, the Wyant College of Optical Sciences recognizes incredible students, as nominated by professors and peers and selected by a faculty and staff committee. Congratulations to Christian Pluchar (Outstanding OSC Graduate Student), Lindsey Wiley (Outstanding OSC Graduate Student Mentor), Quinn Jarecki (Outstanding OSC Teaching Assistant), Sebastian Magri (Outstanding Senior Award), Amie Rott (Wildcat Award), and Kody Gray (College of Engineering Outstanding Graduate Student TA for OSC) as the 2023-2024 Outstanding Students of the Year. All six were publicly recognized during the End of Year Student Celebration on May 2nd, 2024, and awarded certificates by R. John Koshel, professor and associate dean for Undergraduate Academic Affairs. College of Engineering Awardees are also recognized here. Congratulations to all the awardees!

Laser Fun Day 2024 attracted over 400 visitors and was made possible by over 100 volunteers. On the day of the event, the building was filled with hands-on activities and demonstrations that showcased the amazing world of optics. The third floor was especially busy with many visitors coming in from the solar telescope and fresnel lens, set up out front of the building. Once inside, they found many more stations set up on the third floor and extending throughout the rest of the building, including a cow-eye dissection and pickle light bulb in Meinel 307. A special thanks to SPIE and Optica for supporting this event.

Senator Mark Kelly and his team were warmly welcomed to the Wyant College of Optical Sciences on April 5, 2024 for a "Quantum Tour" to see the cutting-edge NSF-ERC Center for Quantum Networks (CQN) and the Grand Challenges Research Building (GCRB).

With more than 60 attendees between in-person and online students, Prism Week received positive feedback from our attendees and guest speakers. A whole week dedicated to celebrating diversity and inclusion was not a trivial matter to plan, but our determined members of the Women in Optics (WiO) Club pulled it off once again.