Announcing the Harrison H. and Catherine C. Barrett Endowed Chair in Optical Sciences for Cancer Imaging

May 18, 2020
Barrett Endowed Fellowship Presentation (21)

 

 

 

 

Barrett Photo (chair)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$1million Gift Commitment Establishes the Harrison H. and Catherine C. Barrett Endowed Chair in Optical Sciences for Cancer Imaging.

The College of Optical Sciences has received a very generous $1million gift commitment to establish the Harrison H. and Catherine C. Barrett Endowed Chair in Optical Sciences for Cancer Imaging. Gifted by the chair’s namesake, Dr. and Mrs. Harry and Cathy Barrett, the endowment will support a faculty position in the College of Optical Sciences (OSC) with a membership in the University of Arizona Cancer Center (UACC).   

UA Regents Professor Harry Barrett is widely recognized for his mentorship and remarkable dedication to his students.  During his 44-year career at the University of Arizona, Harry has advised sixty-four Ph.D. students, published over three hundred technical papers, and received twenty-nine U.S. patents for his innovative work in image science.  His award-winning book, “Foundations of Image Science,” coauthored with his student Dr. Kyle J. Myers, has become a highly-cited reference in the optics field.  In 2014 Harry was inducted into the National Academy of Engineering in recognition of his “contributions to the physical and statistical foundations and applications of radiological and nuclear medical imaging.”

In addition to his teaching and research roles with the College of Optical Sciences and the College of Medicine-Tucson, Harry holds appointments in Applied Mathematics, Biomedical Engineering, and the Arizona Cancer Center.

“We are extremely grateful to Harry and Cathy for their remarkable generosity and commitment to the faculty and students of OSC, UACC, and our UA community,” said Dr. Thomas Koch, dean of the College of Optical Sciences.  “This endowment will provide a critical competitive edge to attract remarkable talent like Harry to the University of Arizona, and to support them in their groundbreaking research programs.”

Koch added that a search will begin immediately and anticipates a recipient will be named by the fall 2019 semester.

About the University of Arizona James C. Wyant College of Optical Sciences: 

The University of Arizona College of Optical Sciences, founded as the Optical Sciences Center, has been shaping the future since 1964 by offering high-quality instruction, cutting-edge research and a solid commitment to the development of the optics industry. OSC remains dedicated to providing the state of Arizona and the nation with an internationally pre-eminent program in all aspects of the study of light. For more information, please visit www.optics.arizona.edu or call 520-621-6997.

Contact: 

Kaye Rowan, Senior Director of Development
University of Arizona College of Optical Sciences
520-626-8754
rowan@optics.arizona.edu