Dear IEEE Photonics Society Members,
One of the significant highlights of 2024 was the successful IEEE Photonics Conference (IPC) held in Rome, Italy on 10-14 November 2024. This flagship meeting brought together a diverse community of experts and enthusiasts, sparking collaboration and innovation across various areas of photonics. Post-event highlights will be shared in the Society’s Newsroom on the conference, covering the technical program and various events that took place. I would like to take this opportunity within my column to underscore the significance of the IEEE Photonics Society’s Awards program, which featured many of its recognitions during the IPC Banquet and plenary sessions during the week.
The IEEE Photonics Society Graduate Student Scholarship Program was established to provide scholarships to exceptional student members pursuing graduate education in the Society’s areas of interest, including photonics, electro-optics, lasers, optics, and closely related fields. Each of the ten recipients received a $1,000 scholarship, a certificate of achievement, and complimentary registration for the IPC conference. By providing financial support, recognition, and a platform for students to engage with leading professionals in their field, the award incentivizes high-quality academic and research efforts. It is the Society’s goal to motivate graduate students to push the boundaries of their studies and contribute to advancing knowledge in photonics, optics, lasers, and related fields.
During the conference, we had the honor of recognizing outstanding contributions to our field through several prestigious awards as follows:
IEEE Photonics Society Distinguished Service Award: This award is presented to individuals who have consistently made significant contributions to the IEEE Photonics Society and enhanced our service to the profession. We were proud to honor Gabriella Bosco for her dedicated service, with exceptional contributions to publications and conferences. Professor Bosco has exemplified dedication as the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Lightwave Technology (JLT) from 2019 to 2024, where her leadership has resulted in a remarkable increase in the journal’s impact and paper submissions. Her guidance to her team of deputy and associate editors has been phenomenal.
Gabriella has also played a pivotal role in organizing key conferences for the IEEE Photonics Society, dedicating over seven years to the Optical Fiber Communication (OFC) conference. Her leadership roles have included Subcommittee Chair (2015), TPC Chair (2017), and General Chair (2019). Additionally, she serves as the Program Chair for the Society’s flagship conference, IPC, after holding various leadership roles from 2016 to 2022. Gabriella’s contributions to CLEO and ACP further underscore her commitment to our community. As an elected member of the IEEE Photonics Society Board of Governors (2021-2023) and Vice-Chair of the IEEE Photonics Society Italian Chapter, Gabriella’s dedicated efforts have greatly enhanced the Society’s standing as a premier professional organization on the global stage. She is now stepping into the role of the Society’s President-Elect for 2025, as appointed by the IEEE Board of Governors. We are excited to see Gabriella’s leadership continue in the years ahead!
IEEE Photonics Society Industry Achievement Award: This award was established to recognize significant contributions to the photonics industry through sustained entrepreneurship. The recipient was Waguih Ishak, recognized for enduring, transformational, and strategic global leadership in the development, promotion, and introduction of photonic products including commercial VCSELs and the computer laser mouse. The award highlights the sustained nature of Ishak’s contributions. His career demonstrates a long-term commitment to the photonics sector and its development. By acknowledging enduring contributions, the award emphasizes the value of persistence and continued effort in pushing the boundaries of technology and market development.
IEEE Women in Photonics Excellence Award: This award was established to recognize exceptional technical, educational, or societal contribution by a woman, which has had a significant impact to the Photonics community at large. The recipient was Kei May Lau, recognized for her contributions to the development of hetero-epitaxy by metal organic chemical vapor deposition for photonics devices and monolithic micro-LED micro-displays. By recognizing and celebrating the achievements of women, the award aims to challenge stereotypes, as Lau emphasized in her acceptance speech. The IEEE not only highlights the technological importance of her contributions but also underscores the broader impact of her innovations and the inspirational example she sets for the next generation of women to leave their own mark in photonics.
IEEE Photonics Society Quantum Electronics Award: This award honors individuals for outstanding technical contributions to quantum electronics. The recipient was Alexey Gorshkov, recognized for his pioneering contributions to understanding, design, and control of interacting quantum systems, with applications including quantum computers, sensors, and networks. Gorshkov’s work in this interdisciplinary space reflects the importance of collaboration across disciplines to achieve breakthroughs in complex fields.
IEEE Photonics Society Aron Kressel Award: This award recognizes individuals who have made important contributions to optoelectronic device technology. The recipient of the award was Mona Jarrahi, honored for her pioneering contributions to plasmonic terahertz optoelectronic devices and imaging/spectroscopy systems. Her innovations in terahertz optoelectronics have resulted in the creation of devices capable of detecting and generating terahertz radiation—a region of the electromagnetic spectrum between microwaves and infrared light. These devices have broad applications in fields such as medical diagnostics and materials characterization. By recognizing her work, the award emphasizes the critical role of optoelectronics in driving progress across a range of modern technologies, from telecommunications to healthcare.
IEEE Photonics Society William Streifer Scientific Achievement Award: This award recognizes an exceptional single scientific contribution that has had a significant impact in the field of lasers and electro-optics in the past 10 years. This year, the award was presented to Andrea Alu, recognized for his pioneering work in photonic metamaterials and their diverse applications. Alu’s research has been instrumental in steering the course of metamaterial development, establishing it as a critical technology in the advancing field of electro-optics. The award serves to acknowledge his remarkable contributions to the progress of photonics, lasers, and electro-optics—disciplines that are vital to the advancement of a wide range of modern technologies.
IEEE Photonics Society Engineering Achievement Award: This award recognizes exceptional engineering contributions that have had a significant impact on technology or its commercial application within the last decade. The recipient is Pavel Cheben, recognized for his pioneering contributions to silicon photonic waveguide devices, including the invention of metamaterial waveguides and advancements in sub-wavelength integrated photonics technology. His innovations have helped bridge the gap between traditional electronics and photonics, creating more efficient ways to integrate light-based technology into electronic systems. These developments are crucial for next-generation optical networks, quantum computing, and sensor systems, all of which require high-speed, high-density integration of photonic components.
Delegates from 46 countries attended IPC 2024. We are excited to announce that our next annual Society meeting will take place in Singapore from November 9-13, 2025. This marks the first time we will host the IEEE Photonics Conference in Asia, and we eagerly anticipate welcoming you to Singapore.
As we look forward to 2025, let us continue to support one another, share our knowledge, and strive for new heights in our endeavors. Together, we can push the boundaries of photonics and make a lasting impact on technology and society.
Wishing you and your loved ones a year filled with health, happiness, and success. Let’s make 2025 a remarkable year for the IEEE Photonics Society!
Warm regards,
President (2024-2025)
IEEE Photonics Society
(shum@ieee.org)
Featured Photo Caption: Graduate Student Scholarship awardees, honored during the IPC 2024 Banquet.
