One of the greatest privileges of serving as President of the IEEE Photonics Society is the opportunity to engage with members of our community in many different settings—from international conferences and national events to IEEE leadership meetings and informal conversations at our Society booth. These experiences remind me that the strength of a professional society lies not only in its programs and publications, but also in the connections it creates among researchers, students, industry professionals, volunteers, and staff.
In recent months, this has been especially evident through my participation in CLEO 2026, the Italian Conference on Optics and Photonics, and the June IEEE Technical Activities Board meeting, as well as through the technical exchange fostered by Society conferences such as SiPhotonics and the IEEE Photonics Society Summer Topicals Meeting Series.
Connecting With Members at CLEO
CLEO remains a leading international forum for laser science, optics, and photonics, bringing together fundamental research, technological innovation, and emerging applications. The 2026 plenary program, featuring Federico Capasso, Dirk R. Englund, Franco Nori, and Nathalie Picqué, reflected the field’s scientific depth and its growing connections with rapidly evolving technologies, spanning semiconductor lasers, metasurfaces, quantum photonics, artificial intelligence, quantum information science, and frequency-comb spectroscopy.
A particularly rewarding part of my participation was joining the IEEE Photonics Society Mentor Match program, which creates opportunities for students and early-career professionals to connect with more experienced members of the photonics community for guidance, encouragement, and the exchange of perspectives. The experience reaffirmed the value of mentorship and showed how even a single thoughtful conversation can support professional growth and help build lasting connections.
I also spent time at the IEEE Photonics Society booth, speaking with attendees, Society staff, and our Vice President for Membership, Peter Delfyett. The booth is more than a place to obtain information: it is a meeting point where members can share feedback, prospective members can discover our activities, and staff and volunteers can better understand the evolving needs of our community.
Connecting Technical Communities Through Focused Conferences
Although I was not able to attend them personally this year, SiPhotonics 2026 and the IEEE Photonics Society Summer Topicals illustrate the important role that focused conferences play within our community.
Held in Ottawa in April, the IEEE Silicon Photonics Conference brought together participants from academia and industry to discuss advances in integrated photonics, fabrication and integration technologies, and applications ranging from artificial intelligence and high-performance computing to quantum technologies and sensing. Its plenary speakers, Yasuhiko Arakawa and Michal Lipson, reflected the pioneering research that has shaped the field.
The IEEE Photonics Society Summer Topicals, held in Tulum in July, addressed emerging areas including large-scale electronic-photonic systems, hollow-core fibers, energy-efficient photonics, artificial intelligence, quantum information processing, space-division multiplexing, and structured light. Its focused and intimate format encouraged exchange across technical communities and the development of new collaborations.
Supporting National and Regional Communities
In June, I participated in the Italian Conference on Optics and Photonics, ICOP 2026, held in L’Aquila, Italy. I was honored to represent the IEEE Photonics Society during the opening ceremony, together with Antigone Marino, Chair of the local Chapter, and to bring greetings to the participants.
In my remarks, I emphasized the importance of national and regional conferences in strengthening local communities and connecting them with the broader international photonics network. Events such as ICOP are especially valuable for students and early-career researchers, providing opportunities to present their work, meet peers and mentors, exchange ideas, and become part of a wider scientific community.
I was pleased to congratulate Conference Chair Cristian Antonelli and the organizing committee on a rich and internationally oriented program. The plenary speakers—Ruben S. Luis, Peter Winzer, Francesco Poletti, Olga Smirnova, Wim Bogaerts, and Miguel González-Herráez—showcased the diversity of contemporary photonics, from advanced communications and AI interconnects to hollow-core fibers, ultrafast science, programmable photonics, and distributed sensing.
I also had the pleasure of announcing the seven recipients of the Best Student Paper Awards, presented to the highest-scoring student papers in each of the conference’s seven main technical categories. Recognizing these outstanding contributions was a meaningful way to celebrate the talent, dedication, and scientific excellence of the next generation of photonics researchers.
Representing Photonics Within IEEE
During the same week, I traveled to Nashville to participate in the June IEEE Technical Activities Board meeting. TAB brings together the presidents of IEEE Societies and Councils, Division Directors, and other IEEE leaders, providing an important forum for discussions and decisions affecting all technical communities.
The meeting highlighted encouraging growth in membership, conferences, technical communities, and student chapters. The growth in student engagement was particularly positive and underscored the importance of continued investment in students and early-career professionals.
Discussions also addressed challenges associated with rising publication submissions, the use of artificial intelligence in scientific publishing, and the evolving scale and governance of IEEE conferences. These issues are directly relevant to our Society, as publications and conferences remain two of our principal means of serving members and disseminating technical knowledge.
A Community Built Through Participation
These recent activities—from mentoring a participant at CLEO to representing the Society within IEEE TAB—may seem very different, but they share the same purpose: building a strong, connected, and forward-looking photonics community. Our community grows when excellence is recognized, experienced members mentor younger colleagues, Chapters create local opportunities, conference participants exchange ideas, and volunteers contribute to committees, publications, conferences, and governance.
I encourage you to take part—through Mentor Match, a Chapter event, a Society booth, a committee, or by sharing your feedback. Even a single conversation can lead to a collaboration, a professional opportunity, or a lasting relationship.
The IEEE Photonics Society is defined not only by its publications, conferences, and programs, but by the people who participate in them. Together, we will continue to strengthen our Society and advance photonics for the benefit of our global community.
Warm regards,
Gabriella Bosco
President (2026-2027)
IEEE Photonics Society
