IEEE Photonics Society Technical Skills Educator Award

Recognizes educators specializing in bringing technician and technical skills training within the photonics field.

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Nomination Period: April 15 – May 31

View all nomination requirements and details.

Nominators must complete a nominee submission by May 31 each year with the following:

Statement of a specific examples of impact in the following areas:
- Classroom Practice
- Subject Leadership
- Recruitment
- Community Outreach
Proposed Award Citation: (Word Count: 20)
Nominee’s curriculum vita (Maximum of three pages)
Endorsements: A minimum of two, maximum of three endorsement letters are required and must be submitted by the endorsers by the nomination deadline. The nominator cannot be an endorser.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE:
May 31

View Present & Past Winners

An IEEE or Society membership is not required to submit a nomination; however, you must have an IEEE Web Account. To create an account, click here.

About the Award

The IEEE Photonics Society Technical Skills Educator Award recognizes educators specializing in bringing technician and technical skills training within the photonics field of interest.

Presented to: An individual

Scope: To recognize educators specializing in bringing technician and technical skills training within the PHO field of interest to traditionally underserved communities.

Prize: Certificate, a cash honorarium, support to attend presentation

Basis for judging: The award will recognize effective, impactful, and innovative educators who bring specialized training to communities for whom photonics is not typically viewed as a common educational and career path. Contributions to curriculum and course development, industrial and governmental education programs, textbook development, will all be considered in the award evaluation.

Introducing Our Award Honorees

We are proud to recognize and celebrate honorees of the IEEE Photonics Society Technical Skills Educator Award.

Our Most Recent Honoree

TSEA2026_Donnelly

Judy Donnelly, 2026

For lifelong dedication to optics and photonics education, advancing scientific training, innovation, and global educational development in photonics worldwide.

Professor Emerita Judy Donnelly served as professor of physics and technology at Three Rivers Community College in Norwich, CT (formerly Thames Valley State Technical College) for 36 years. In 1997, after two decades of teaching electronics and physics, she developed the Laser and Fiber Optic Technology (LFOT) associate degree program with the assistance of an industry advisory committee and served as LFOT Program Coordinator and instructor until her
retirement.

Donnelly has been involved in STEM outreach since the mid 1980s when she ran an after-school club, “Mrs. Wizard’s Science Secrets”, at a local elementary school. She enlisted her LFOT students as instructors at a yearly high school “Laser Camp” and a 5th grade version, “Junior Laser Camp” that brought hundreds of students to the college photonics labs. After retirement, she worked with her math-teacher son to develop hands-on activities to illustrate and enliven math concepts. During the Covid19 pandemic, she co-presented webinars for parents, teachers and students as part of Optica’s We Are On series, including 8 live interactive hands-on “Optics at Home” lessons.

From 1995 until 2025 she worked with the New England Board of Higher Education and Springfield Technical Community College on seven projects funded by the National Science Foundation/Advanced Technological Education program to develop curriculum and provide faculty professional development nationwide for optics/photonics education and problem-based learning. She is the co-author of two books: Light–Introduction to Optics and Photonics, a textbook for technicians (Laurin Publishing) and Exploring Light: Investigations for Optics Education (SPIE Press).

Donnelly received the SPIE Maria Yzuel Educator Award (2003) and the Optica Esther Hoffman Beller Medal (2012) for outstanding contributions to optical science and engineering education. She is a Senior Member and Fellow Member of both societies.
www.pblprojects.org

View All Award Winners

Year	Award Winner	Citation
2023	Jens Hofmann	For bringing companies and institutes together in innovative programs that enable career changes into photonics.
2022	Stephen Musamuli Kichinda	For outstanding contributions to the technical education of Fiber Optic practioners in Africa for Government, Industry, and Academia.
2021	Lukas Chrostowski	For outstanding and innovative contributions to silicon photonics education.
2020	Alexis Vogt	For transforming the optical systems technology program at MCC into a national model through teaching, mentoring, leadership, fundraising and outreach.