UCF Researchers Win Three Prestigious Optics Awards

ORLANDO, Feb. 28, 2008 -- Researchers at the University of Central Florida have received three of the highest awards bestowed by the worlds premier scientific society in optics and photonics. M.J. Soileau, vice president of UCF's Office of Research and Commercialization, has been named the recipient of the SPIE gold medal, the highest honor awarded by the international society.Research faculty member Leon Glebov, of the College of Optics and Photonics and Center for Research and Education in Optics and Lasers (CREOL), won SPIE's Dennis Gabor Award for outstanding accomplishments in technologies relating to the bending of lightwaves. And Shin-Tson Wu, a provost-distinguished professor of Optics, will receive the G. G. Stokes Award for exceptional contributions to the field of optical polarization. "These awards are a testament to the regard in which UCF's faculty members and their research are held by their peers at SPIE and other scientific societies," said UCF President John Hitt. "Our university community appreciates the dedication of our outstanding optics faculty to educating our students and developing innovations that improve our daily lives and power the Central Florida economy."Soileau, who served as founding director of CREOL, is credited with laying the groundwork for the universitys optics program. That program includes the nation's first full-fledged college devoted to optics and two additional research centers -- the Florida Photonics Center of Excellence and the Townes Laser Institute. Since it began in 1986, UCF's optics program has been recognized as an example of the economic impact that research and technology development can generate in Florida. The college has received about $150 million in research funding, providing industry with an unparalleled resource and attracting world-class faculty to the university. Soileau has written more than 150 articles for scientific journals and has presented at more than 180 professional conferences. He received the Esther Hoffman Beller Medal from the Optical Society of America in 2007 and a Directors' Award from SPIE in 1999. Earlier this year, he was named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences. He has made significant scientific contributions to the areas of laser-induced damage and sensor protecting devices.Glebov has pioneered methods of making and manipulating some of the world's highest-quality glass to create techniques of etching holograms or pathways into glass that can direct light to perform specific functions. He earned his Ph.D. in Physics, with a major in Optics, from State Optical Institute in Leningrad, Russia, where he worked until 1995. In 2005, he was named a fellow of the Optical Society of America. Wu is a fellow of many professional organizations, including SPIE, and is a recipient of the Outstanding Engineer Award from IEEE, a professional association devoted to the advancement of technology. He has co-authored four books, more than 350 papers and 60 issued and pending patents. His liquid crystal lens technology has been licensed for use in commercial and military applications and, most recently, medical applications. The three UCF researchers will be presented with their awards at the SPIE Defense and Security conference banquet March 19 in Orlando. Corporate tables seating 10 are available through March 4 for $850 by contacting Jack Sullivan of the Florida Research Consortium at jsullivan@nettally.com.-- UCF --Contact: Barb Abney, UCF Office of Research and Commercialization, 407-823-5139, babney@mail.ucf.edu UCF Stands for Opportunity: The University of Central Florida is a metropolitan research university that ranks as the 6th largest in the nation with more than 48,000 students. UCF's first classes were offered in 1968. The university offers impressive academic and research environments that power the region's economic development. UCF's culture of opportunity is driven by our diversity, Orlando environment, history of entrepreneurship and our youth, relevance and energy. For more UCF news, visit http://news.ucf.edu.