Cody Nelson Selected for Optica 2024 Pollicove Memorial Scholarship

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Cody Nelson, a master’s student in optical sciences at the Wyant College of Optical Sciences, has been awarded the 2024 Optica Foundation Harvey M. Pollicove Memorial Scholarship. Cody is also employed as an optical fabrication technician at the Richard F. Caris Mirror Laboratory, where he plays a key role in producing large-scale optics for astronomical applications, such as the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT). His work emphasizes safety when working with massive astronomical mirrors as well as ensuring nanometer-level precision, especially in fabricating the final GMT mirror segments.

Cody’s hopes to apply this work to his future thesis-work focusing on interferometric testing for the GMT segment 3, which will finalize its surface. He is also collaborating with the LOFT group on a telescope camera design. "I am grateful to be awarded this prestigious scholarship from Optica," Cody shared, "[and I hope] to have a lasting impact on the field of precision optical manufacturing...this scholarship will enable me to deepen my understanding of the universe as I continue my optics graduate studies."

Daewook Kim, Cody's advisor, commented, "Cody has distinguished himself as an exemplary student and researcher...Cody has played a critical part in the precision optical manufacturing of some of the world's largest telescope mirrors...[this] further underscores his passion for advancing the fields of optics and astronomy. His work has contributed to our understanding of the universe!"

Congratulations, Cody!