CREOL e-Highlights Vol 1 Iss 3

Welcome to e-Highlights, published monthly by the The College of Optics and Photonics : CREOL & FPCE. In this issue we feature: UCF's Distinguished Researcher Award; Faculty Retirements; Student Awards and Honors; Congratulations to the OSC; and a Farewell to Craig Siders.

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DR. MARTIN RICHARDSON SELECTED AS THE UNIVERSITY DISTINGUISHED RESEARCHER FOR 2005

The UCF University Research Council has selected Dr. Martin Richardson , Professor of Optics, Physics & ECE, and Northrop Grumman Professor of X-Ray Optics, as the University Distinguished Researcher for 2005.

Dr. Richardson directs a research program (http://lpl.creol.ucf.edu/) that includes two visiting research scientists, two engineers, 13 graduate students, and six undergraduates. The program works on the development of new high power lasers and their applications to dense laser plasma studies and x-ray generation in the Laser Plasma Laboratory and Northrop Grumman X-Ray Photonics Laboratory. Current applications of focused interest include EUV sources for lithography, x-ray microscopy, laser-induced-breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), and femto-second laser-aided materials processing.

A reception to celebrate the retirement of Dr. William Sifvast and Dr. Hans Jenssen was held in the CREOL lobby on Monday April 25, 2005. Although officially "retired" from The College of Optics and Photonics: CREOL & FPCE, Bill and Hans plan to continue connection with us -- Bill through collaboration with Martin Richardson, and Hans through the company his wife and he run, AC Materials (a member of the CREOL Industrial Affiliates).

Ozan Cakmakci (graduate student working with Jannick Rolland) has been awarded the Kidger Scholarship Award 2005. The Memorial Scholarship will be awarded at the SPIE Student Reception in San Diego , CA. The awards ceremony will take place at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday August 2, 2005, with a reception immediately following.

Congratulations to Jed Simmons (graduate student working with Michael Bass) for being selected to participate in an internship program with the Army Research Laboratory in Adelphi, MD sponsored by DEPS, Directed Energy Professional Society. Simmons will be conducting experiments with ceramic laser materials.

Congratulations to Sajjad Khan (graduate student working with Nabeel Riza) for his accomplishments as a finalist for the New Focus/Bookham Student Award. This achievement is rewarded with a stipend of $1,500.

The College of Optics and Photonics: CREOL & FPCE would like to recognize the achievement of the University of Arizona's Optical Sciences Center (OSC) on becoming the second college in our field in the United States, following the lead of The College of Optics and Photonics. On April 28, 2005 the Arizona Board of Regents approved the elevation of OSC to the College of Optical Sciences as the 13 th college at the University of Arizona. For details see http://www.optics.arizona.edu/News/CollegeOfOpticalSciences.htm.

This is another great step for the field of optics and photonics to be recognized as a distinct field and discipline.

The College of Optics and Photonics: CREOL and FPCE says farewell to Dr. Craig Siders. Craig has been given an opportunity to join the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. His last day is June 3. We are certainly sorry to see him go, but wish him all the best in his new endeavors. We also plan to keep in touch with him and continue close interactions.

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Published by College of Optics and Photonics: CREOL & FPCE
University of Central Florida
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