Jennifer Turner-Valle Advancing Women in Optics Graduate Student Scholarship

Image

This scholarship honors Dr. Jennifer Turner-Valle, a teacher, mentor, and role model particularly for women in the fields of optical engineering and business.

Jennifer earned a BS degree in Engineering Physics from the University of Colorado where she developed a passionate interest in optics. She subsequently studied thin-film optics under Dr. H. Angus Macleod at the University of Arizona receiving her Ph.D. in 1998.

Jennifer’s career path reflected her natural intellectual curiosity and unwavering self-confidence. From her initial work as an optical engineer for space instrumentation, her roles included lead optical designer for the Wide Field Camera 3 for the Hubble Space Telescope; lead systems engineer for the MESSENGER Mercury Atmospheric and Surface Composition Spectrometer; and an aerospace business program manager and strategic development consultant. She was also an associate professor at the University of Arizona College of Optical Sciences.  

Image

Her experience in program and organizational management led to her earning Advanced Program Management certificates through Stanford University. Demonstrating her wide-ranging abilities Jennifer co-founded and was president of Optical Engineering Associates LLC, providing technical and strategic consulting services to commercial, university, and government customers. In this capacity, she exercised her technical, business, and engaging interpersonal skills.

The scholarships afforded by this endowment expresses Jennifer’s proud association with the University of Arizona’s College of Optical Sciences and her desire to enable others to aspire to full and rewarding careers in the optical sciences.

Eligibility

Candidates will be full-time first- or second-year graduate student enrolled in The University of Arizona James C. Wyant College of Optical Sciences and pursuing either a MS or a PhD degree. Student applicants must demonstrate interest in or provide evidence of advancing women in the fields of optical sciences and optical engineering.