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The IEEE Photonics Society Aron Kressel Award recognizes contributions to opto-electronic device technology that has had a significant impact on their applications in major practical systems.
Presented to: An individual or team, up to three in number
Scope: To recognize outstanding achievements in Opto-Electronic device technology.
Prize: A Certificate and Honorarium
Honorarium Basis for judging: In the evaluation process, the following criteria are considered: The device technology cited is to have had a significant impact on their applications in major practical systems. The intent is to recognize key contributors to the field for developments of critical components, which lead to the development of systems enabling major new services or capabilities. These achievements should have been accomplished in a prior time frame sufficient to permit evaluation of their lasting impact. The work cited could have appeared in the form of publications, patents, products, or simply general recognition by the professional community that the individual cited is the agreed upon originator of the advance upon which the award decision is based.
We are proud to recognize and celebrate honorees of the IEEE Photonics Society Aron Kressel Award.
For innovative inventions of liquid crystal devices that led to widespread applications in modern displays, augmented reality, and virtual reality.
Shin-Tson Wu is a Trustee chair professor at the College of Optics and Photonics, University of Central Florida (UCF). He received his Ph.D. in physics from the University of Southern California and BS in physics from National Taiwan University. His research interests at UCF focus on AI-assisted augmented reality and virtual reality displays, including light engines (LCOS, mini-LED, micro-LED, and OLED), optical systems (lightguide, diffractive optics, and imaging optics), and display materials (liquid crystals, quantum dots, and perovskites). Prof. Wu is an Academician of Academia Sinica, a Charter Fellow of the US National Academy of Inventors, a member of the Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine of Florida, one of the first six inductees to the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame, and a Fellow of the IEEE, OSA, SID and SPIE. The honors and awards he received include the IEEE Photonics Society (IPS) Aron Kressel Award (2026), SPIE Dennis Gabor Award (2026), SID Lawrence Tannas Award (2025), UCF inaugural Medal of Societal Impact (2024), OPTICA Edwin H. Land Medal (2022), SPIE Maria Goeppert-Mayer Award (2022), OPTICA Esther Hoffman Beller Medal (2014), SID Slottow-Owaki Prize (2011), OPTICA Joseph Fraunhofer Award (2010), SPIE G. G. Stokes Award (2008), and SID Jan Rajchman Prize (2008). In the past, he served as founding Editor-InChief of the IEEE/OPTICA Journal of Display Technology, OPTICA Publications Council Chair and Board of Directors, and SID honors and awards committee chair.
| Year | Award Winner | Citation |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Richard Swanson | For extraordinary contributions to the development of Photovoltaic technology, the Interdigitated Back Contact and tunnel-oxide-polysilicon passivating contact solar cells. |
| 2024 | Mona Jarrahi | For groundbreaking contributions to plasmonic terahertz optoelectronic devices and imaging/spectroscopy systems. |
| 2023 | T. Paul Chow | For demonstrating the world’s first GaN based, monolithically integrated ED/MOSFET devices for use in lighting, displays and communication systems. |
| 2022 | Shouleh Nikzad | For groundbreaking contributions to detectors and photonics instruments using nanoscale engineering enabling scientific measurements in space. |
| 2021 | Hui Cao | For groundbreaking contributions to experimental studies on non-conventional lasers, and for pioneering their applications in biomedical imaging, projection and cryptography. |
| 2020 | Sanjay Krishna | For the first demonstration of single color and dual color nBn superlattice detectors and focal plane arrays. |
| 2019 | Luke J. Mawst | For contributions to novel materials growth, fabrication and device design of semiconductor diode lasers. |
| 2018 | Rui Q. Yang | For invention of the mid-infrared interband cascade laser, and its advancement along with related devices for applications. |
| 2017 | Kei-May Lau | For exceptional contributions to hetero-epitaxy of highly mismatched III-V photonics devices by MOCVD. |
| 2016 | Martin D. Dawson | For broad and sustained contributions to semiconductor opto-electronic engineering, including optically-pumped semiconductor lasers, diamond photonic and gallium-nitride microdevices. |
| 2015 | Silvano Donati | For seminal contributions to self-mixing interferometry. |
| 2014 |
Mitsuru Sugawara
Keizo Takemasa
Kenichi Nishi |
“For pioneering contributions to the development of temperature-insensitive quantum dot lasers, and their commercialization and mass-production for optical communication systems.” |
| 2013 | Sarath Gunapala | For pioneering contributions to the development of quantum structures based infrared detectors and imaging focal plane arrays. |
| 2012 | Bahram Jalali | “For contributions to the science and technology of silicon photonics.” |
| 2011 | Ian White | For contributions in the field of III-V photonic devices for data-communication transmission and routing applications. |
| 2010 |
Steven P. DenBaars
James S. Speck |
For pioneering work in the development of high-efficiency nonpolar and semipolar nitride-based materials and devices for solid state lighting. |
| 2009 |
Larry Coldren
Jack Jewell |
For original contributions enabling low threshold, manufacturable VCSELs |
| 2008 | Henryk Temkin | For outstanding contributions and leadership in advancing opto-electronic materials and devices spanning from the infrared to the ultraviolet. |
| 2007 | Rodney S. Tucker | For contributions to the modeling and analysis and applications of high-speed semiconductor lasers. |
| 2006 |
Charles Joyner
Radhakrishnan Nagarajan
Richard Schneider |
In recognition of breakthrough work in the development and manufacturing of Large Scale Photonic Integrated Circuit. |
| 2005 | J. Gary Eden | For sustained contributions to the development of ultraviolet coherent and incoherent sources, and to excimer lasers and microplasma devices. |
| 2004 |
Eberhard Latta
Christoph Harder
Volker Graf |
For pioneering contributions to high-reliability, high-power telecommunications pump lasers. |
| 2003 | Takao Kaneda | For contributions to the development and commercialization of avalanche photodiodes for optical communication systems. |
| 2002 | J. Jim Hsieh | For pioneering development of 1300nm GaInAsP diode lasers for fiber optic communications application and entrepreneurial leadership. |
| 2001 | Wim Nijman | For pioneering work in GaAs crystal growth for compact disc lasers and founding the Philips semiconductor laser industry. |
| 2000 | Gregory Olsen | For contributions to the development and commercialization of InGaAs detectors for communications and sensing applications. |