The Siegman International School on Lasers makes its debut
The first annual Siegman International School on Lasers will be hosted by Stanford University, the Ginzton Laboratory, and Stanford Photonics Research Center from August 3-8. The school has been funded by the OSA Foundation and IPG Photonics (NASDAQ: IPGP; Oxford, MA) in memory of Anthony “Tony” Siegman, past president of The Optical Society (OSA), founding member of The OSA Foundation, and a leading laser researcher and professor at Stanford for more than 40 years.
The school will provide more than 80 graduate students from 28 countries an immersive experience in both the academic and industry sides of laser science and engineering. Its charter states that at least 10% of the class will be students from developing nations; this year, more than 30% of the students accepted are from developing nations.
Presentations from well-known and pioneering laser researchers and experts from leading laser companies, include:
- Robert L. Byer, Stanford University, “50 Years of Lasers with Tony Siegman; Colleague, Friend and Mentor” and “Accelerator on a Chip: Recent Progress (>300 MeV/m)”
- Hui Cao, Yale University, “Microcavity Lasers” and “Random Lasers”
- Connie Chang-Hasnain, University of California, Berkeley, “Nano-photonics: Progress and Prospects”
- Steven Chu, Stanford University, "The Energy, Climate Change and Sustainability: A necessity that will be the mother of many inventions"
- Alexander L. Gaeta, Cornell University, “Chip-Based Nonlinear Photonics”
- Valentin Gapontsev, IPG Photonics, “Exploring a Career in Industry”
- Stephen E. Harris, Stanford University, “Electromagnetically Induced Transparency and Slow Light” and “Parametric Down-Conversion Over Fifty Years: From Microwaves to X-rays”
- Jim Kafka, Spectra-Physics, a Newport Company, “Ultrafast Lasers and Ultrafast Science”
- David Richardson, Southampton University, “Fiber Lasers: From Basic Principles through to Emerging Applications”
- Bahaa E. A. Saleh, CREOL, “Coherence and Entanglement: Classical and Quantum”
- Mark Sobey, Coherent, “Cutting Edge Careers and Smartphones”
Students will also hear from Milton Chang, managing director of investment firm Incubic and author of the monthly Business Forum column in Laser Focus World, about his successful career path as a business leader and entrepreneur. Hank Gauthier, board member, IPG Photonics, will interview Chang.
For more information or to make a donation to the OSA Foundation (matched dollar-for-dollar by OSA), visit www.osa.org/foundation.
Conard Holton | Editor at Large
Conard Holton has 25 years of science and technology editing and writing experience. He was formerly a staff member and consultant for government agencies such as the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and the International Atomic Energy Agency, and engineering companies such as Bechtel. He joined Laser Focus World in 1997 as senior editor, becoming editor in chief of WDM Solutions, which he founded in 1999. In 2003 he joined Vision Systems Design as editor in chief, while continuing as contributing editor at Laser Focus World. Conard became editor in chief of Laser Focus World in August 2011, a role in which he served through August 2018. He then served as Editor at Large for Laser Focus World and Co-Chair of the Lasers & Photonics Marketplace Seminar from August 2018 through January 2022. He received his B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, with additional studies at the Colorado School of Mines and Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.