The National Academy of Sciences today announced the election of 72 new members and 18 foreign associates from 9 countries in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.
The election was held this morning during the business session of the 145th annual meeting of the Academy. Those elected today bring the total number of active members to 2,041. Foreign associates are nonvoting members of the Academy, with citizenship outside the United States. Today's election brings the total number of foreign associates to 397.
The National Academy of Sciences is a private organization of scientists and engineers dedicated to the furtherance of science and its use for the general welfare. It was established in 1863 by a congressional act of incorporation signed by Abraham Lincoln that calls on the Academy to act as an official adviser to the federal government, upon request, in any matter of science or technology.
Additional information about the Academy and its members is available online.
Newly elected members and their affiliations at the time of election are:
ADAMS, JERRY M.; senior principal research fellow, research professor, and joint head, molecular genetics of cancer division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
ALBRIGHT, THOMAS D.; professor and director, vision center laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, San Diego
ALDRICH, RICHARD W.; professor and Karl Folkers Chair, section of neurobiology, center for learning and memory, University of Texas, Austin
ALLEY, RICHARD B.; Evan Pugh Professor of Geosciences, department of geosciences and Earth and Environmental Systems Institute, Pennsylvania State University, University Park
ANSELIN, LUC E.; Foundation Professor and director, School of Geographical Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe
ARNOLD, FRANCES H.; Dick and Barbara Dickinson Professor of Chemical Engineering and Biochemistry, department of chemistry and chemical engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
BEUTLER, BRUCE A.; professor and chair, department of genetics, Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, Calif.
BEVAN, MICHAEL J.; investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and professor, department of immunology, University of Washington, Seattle
BOTCHAN, MICHAEL R.; professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, department of molecular and cell biology, University of California, Berkeley
BOXER, STEVEN G.; Camille and Henry Dreyfus Professor of Chemistry, department of chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, Calif.
BOYLE, EDWARD A.; professor of ocean geochemistry, department of earth, atmospheric, and planetary sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
BUCHWALD, STEPHEN L.; Camille Dreyfus Professor of Chemistry, department of chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
CARRINGTON, JAMES C.; professor, department of botany and plant pathology, and director, center for genome research and biocomputing, Oregon State University, Corvallis
CARTER, EMILY A.; Arthur W. Marks '19 Professor, department of mechanical and aerospace engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, N.J.
CRABTREE, GEORGE W.; senior scientist and director, materials science division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Ill.
CROPPER, MAUREEN L.; professor of economics, University of Maryland, College Park
DARST, SETH A.; Jack Fisherman Professor and head, laboratory of molecular biophysics, Rockefeller University, New York City
DE LONG, EDWARD F.; professor, department of civil and environmental engineering, division of biological engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
DILL, KENNETH A.; professor of pharmaceutical chemistry, biochemistry, and biophysics, department of pharmaceutical chemistry, University of California, San Francisco
FULLER, MARGARET T.; Reed-Hodgson Professor in Human Biology and professor of genetics, department of developmental biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, Calif.
GEISLER, WILSON S.; professor of psychology and biomedical engineering and David Wechsler Regents Chair, department of psychology, University of Texas, Austin
GREENBERG, MICHAEL E.; professor, departments of neurology and neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, and director, division of neuroscience, Children's Hospital, Boston
GRUNSTEIN, MICHAEL; professor of biological chemistry, department of biological chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles
GUYER, JANE I.; professor of anthropology, department of anthropology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore
HERNQUIST, LARS E.; professor, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, Mass.
HILLIS, DAVID M.; director, center for computational biology and bioinformatics, and Roark Centennial Professor, University of Texas, Austin
HOFER, HELMUT; professor, Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University, New York City
HU, EVELYN L.; professor, electrical and computer engineering department, University of California, Santa Barbara
JACOBSEN, ERIC N.; Sheldon Emery Professor of Chemistry, department of chemistry and chemical biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
JENKINS, NANCY A.; deputy director and principal investigator, cell cycle control, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Proteos, Singapore
JONES, PETER WILCOX; professor, department of mathematics, Yale University, New Haven, Conn.
KASTNER, MARC A.; Donner Professor and dean of science, School of Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
KAUFMAN, THOMAS C.; Distinguished Professor of Biology, department of biology, Indiana University, Bloomington
KAY, STEVE A.; Dean and Richard C. Atkinson Chair, division of biological sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla
KESSLER, RONALD C.; professor, department of health care policy, Harvard Medical School, Boston
KOTTAK, CONRAD P.; Julian H. Steward Collegiate Professor of Anthropology, department of anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
LEIGHTON, FRANK T.; professor of applied mathematics, department of mathematics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
LEVY, RONALD; professor of medicine and chief, division of oncology, Stanford University, Stanford, Calif.
LIGGETT, THOMAS M.; professor, department of mathematics, University of California, Los Angeles
LINDE, ANDREI; professor of physics, Stanford Institute of Theoretical Physics, department of physics, Stanford University, Stanford, Calif.
LIPPINCOTT-SCHWARTZ, JENNIFER; chief, section on organelle biology, cell biology and metabolism branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md.
MANDEL, GAIL; investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and senior scientist, Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland
MANGELSDORF, DAVID J.; investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and chair, department of pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas
MASKIN, ERIC S.; Albert O. Hirschman Professor of Social Science, school of social science, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, N.J.
MAX, CLAIRE E.; professor, astronomer, and director, center for adaptive optics, University of California, Santa Cruz
MILLER, DAVID A.B.; W.M. Keck Foundation Professor of Electrical Engineering, Ginzton Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, Calif.
MOVSHON, J. ANTHONY; Silver Professor and director, center for neural science, New York University, New York City
MURDOCH, WILLIAM W.; Charles A. Storke II Professor, department of ecology, evolution, and marine biology, University of California, Santa Barbara
OLDSTONE, MICHAEL B.A.; professor and head, viral-immunobiology laboratory, department of immunology and microbial science, Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, Calif.
OLSEN, PAUL E.; Arthur D. Storke Memorial Professor, department of earth and environmental sciences, Columbia University, Palisades, N.Y.
PALMER, ROBERT B.; senior scientist and group leader, advanced accelerator group, department of physics, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, N.Y.
PARKIN, STUART S.P.; IBM Fellow and manager, magnetoelectronics, IBM Almaden Research Center, San Jose, Calif.
PRESCOTT, EDWARD C.; W.P. Carey Professor of Economics, department of economics, Arizona State University, Tempe
PRIVES, CAROL L.; DaCosta Professor of Biology, department of biological sciences, Columbia University, New York City
RANDALL, LISA J.; professor of theoretical physics, department of physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
RAO, ANJANA; professor of pathology and senior investigator, Immune Disease Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston
RINE, JASPER; professor of genetics, genomics, and development, department of molecular and cell biology, University of California, Berkeley
RUVKUN, GARY; professor of genetics, department of molecular biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
SCHEINKMAN, JOSE A.; Theodore A. Wells '29 Professor of Economics, department of economics, Princeton University, Princeton, N.J.
SCHMIDT, BRIAN P.; Australian Research Council Federation Fellow, Mount Stromlo Observatory, Australian National University, Weston Creek, ACT
SCHMITT, JOHANNA; Stephen T. Olney Professor of Natural History, department of ecology and evolutionary biology, Brown University, Providence, R.I.
SEIBERG, NATHAN; professor, School of Natural Sciences, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, N.J.
SEMENZA, GREGG L.; professor of pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore
SKOCPOL, THEDA; Victor S. Thomas Professor of Government and Sociology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
SMOOT, GEORGE; professor and research scientist, department of physics and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley
STRUHL, GARY; investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and professor, department of genetics and development, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York City
SWAGER, TIMOTHY M.; John D. MacArthur Professor and head, department of chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
THOMPSON, ELIZABETH A.; professor, department of statistics, University of Washington, Seattle
THOMSON, JAMES; MacArthur Professor, departments of anatomy and of obstetrics and gynecology, Genome Center of Wisconsin, University of Wisconsin, Madison
WISDOM, JACK L.; professor of plantary sciences, department of earth, atmospheric, and planetary sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
WRIGHT, PETER E.; Cecil H. and Ida M. Green Investigator, department of molecular biology, Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, Calif.
YANOFSKY, MARTIN F.; chair, section of cell and developmental biology, and professor, division of biological sciences, University of California, San Diego
Newly elected foreign associates, their affiliations at the time of election, and their country of citizenship are:
ASFAW, BERHANE; manager, Rift Valley Research Service, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (Ethiopia)
ASPECT, ALAIN; director of research and professor, Ecole Polytechnique Laboratoire Charles Fabry, Institut d'Optique, Orsay, France (France)
CAZENAVE, ANNY; senior scientist, Laboratoire d'Etudes en Géophysique et Océanographie Spatiales, Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), Toulouse, France (France)
COHEN, PHILIP; Royal Society Research Professor and director of MRC Protein Phosphorylation Unit, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom (United Kingdom)
COWLING, RICHARD M.; professor, department of botany, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa (South Africa)
CUTLER, E. ANNE; professor, Institute for Cognition and Information, University of Nijmegen, and director, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Heilig Landstichting, Netherlands (Australia)
DEAN, CAROLINE; associate research director, John Innes Centre, Norwich, United Kingdom (United Kingdom)
GRANT, B. ROSEMARY; research scholar, department of ecology and evolutionary biology, Princeton University, Princeton, N.J. (United Kingdom)
HAGGETT, PETER; senior research fellow, Institute for Advanced Studies and department of geographical sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom (United Kingdom)
HOFFMANN, JULES A.; Distinguished Class Research Director, IBMC, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Strasbourg, France (France)
IMRY, YOSEPH; professor, department of condensed matter physics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel (Israel)
LAWTON, JOHN H.; professor, Natural Environment Research Council, Swindon, United Kingdom (United Kingdom)
MARSHALL, BARRY J.; clinical professor of microbiology, University of Western Australia, Crawley (United Kingdom)
MOFFATT, H. KEITH; professor of mathematical physics emeritus, centre for mathematical physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom (United Kingdom)
RODRIGUEZ, LUIS F.; professor of astronomy, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Michoacan (Mexico)
ROSSANT, JANET; chief of research and senior scientist, Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario (Canada and United Kingdom)
TAO, TERENCE C.; professor, department of mathematics, University of California, Los Angeles (Australia)
ZOLLER, PETER; University Professor, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria (Austria)
Craig Hogan, a member of one of the scientific teams that co-discovered dark energy, will soon assume dual roles as Director of the Center for Particle Astrophysics at the Department of Energy's Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and as a Professor of Astronomy & Astrophysics at the University of Chicago.
Hogan is a Professor of Astronomy and Physics at the University of Washington and a member of the international High-z Supernova Search Team that in 1998 co-discovered dark energy, the mysterious force that works against gravity to accelerate the expansion of the universe. Hogan's hiring is the first joint appointment since the University took a major role in managing Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy in 2007.
"Craig Hogan is an outstanding and respected leader in the field of particle astrophysics," said Fermilab Director Pier Oddone. "I am delighted that he will bring his energy and vision to Fermilab's Center for Particle Astrophysics, a vital part of Fermilab's scientific program."
Chicago scientists founded the field of particle astrophysics at Fermilab during the 1980s, said Edward "Rocky" Kolb, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics at the University of Chicago. In this field, scientists study the connections between forces and objects at the largest and smallest scales of the universe.
"Craig is a high-profile scientist, and he sees a great future in the Fermilab-Chicago connection in particle astrophysics," Kolb said.
Said Hogan: "The cosmology and particle astrophysics community at Fermilab and the University of Chicago continues to lead the world in exploration of the inner space/outer space frontier. It's a place of great talent, diversity, creativity and intellectual excitement."
The cosmological frontier is as much about experiments and data as it is about crazy and cool ideas, he said. "The scientists and engineers at Fermilab build incredible machines-devices of unprecedented precision, sensitivity, sophistication and complexity.
"The physicists recognize that in addition to smashing particles in a lab, they can attack deep mysteries of the nature of time, space, matter and energy by using their powerful tools to study the cosmos. This is pushing technology, literally, to the limits-the smallest and biggest things, the farthest and earliest events, the densest and emptiest places, the bits and pieces of space and time themselves."
Hogan's University appointment includes affiliations with the Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics and the Enrico Fermi Institute, where he began his research career in 1980. He will spend 75 percent of his time at Fermilab and 25 percent at the University. Nevertheless, the University will provide 50 percent of his salary as part of its commitment to operating Fermilab through the Fermi Research Alliance.
He is currently a member of two international scientific collaborations: the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST), and the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). The LSST is a proposed 8.4-meter telescope that will image faint astronomical objects thousands of times across the entire sky, including exploding stars and potentially hazardous near-Earth asteroids.
Expected to launch in the next decade, the satellite-based LISA mission will explore and measure the early universe using gravitational waves. These waves, never directly detected, are predicted in Einstein's theory of general relativity. Hogan also is pursuing theoretical studies of techniques for probing the quantum nature of space time directly in the laboratory.
Hogan earned his bachelor's degree in astronomy, with highest honors, from Harvard University in 1976, and his Ph.D. in astronomy from King's College at the University of Cambridge, England, in 1980. He was an Enrico Fermi Fellow at the University of Chicago in 1980-81, a National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow at Cambridge in 1981-82, and a Bantrell Prize Fellow in Theoretical Astrophysics at the California Institute of Technology from 1982-85.
Hogan joined the University of Arizona faculty in 1985, followed by the University of Washington in 1993. At Washington, he served as chair of the Astronomy Department for six years, as Divisional Dean of Natural Sciences for one year and as Vice Provost for Research for more than three-and-a-half years.
His honors include an Alexander von Humboldt Research Award and an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fellowship. He also is the author of The Little Book of the Big Bang. Published in 1998 by Springer-Verlag, the book has been translated into six languages.
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (April 23, 2008) - Dr. Martin Fisher is transforming the lives of thousands of poor African farmers through a combination of technological invention and system-wide business development. In collaboration with his co-workers, Fisher, the 2008 recipient of the Lemelson-MIT Award for Sustainability, has already enabled over 310,000 people to rise out of poverty.
Fisher will accept his award and present his accomplishments to the public at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology during the second-annual EurekaFest, a multi-day celebration of the inventive spirit, June 25-28, presented by the Lemelson-MIT Program.
"By learning and understanding African societal needs and cultures firsthand, Fisher has harnessed the entrepreneurial drive of many Africans and empowered them with sustainable technological inventions," noted Joshua Schuler, executive director of the Lemelson-MIT Program.
According to the United Nations, more than 40 percent of Africans live in poverty, subsisting on less than US$1 a day. As co-founder and CEO of the nonprofit social enterprise KickStart, Fisher develops and markets moneymaking tools such as low-cost, human-powered irrigation pumps that improve the lives of small-scale rural farmers ¾ the majority of the poor in sub-Saharan Africa.
"These poor rural farmers have one asset: a small plot of land; and one basic skill: farming. The best business they can pursue is irrigated farming," Fisher explained. "Once they employ irrigation, the farmers can grow and sell high-value crops, like fruits and vegetables. They can grow year-round and reap four or five harvests, instead of waiting for the rain to grow a staple crop once or twice a year."
Making a Difference with MoneyMaker Pumps
Among the tools and devices designed and produced by Fisher and the KickStart team, the greatest impact comes from their line of MoneyMaker manual irrigation pumps.
Inspired by a treadle pump used in Bangladesh and India, these pumps are distinguished by features, which include easy installment and maintenance, portability, and pressurization to facilitate irrigation on hillside landscapes.
The Super MoneyMaker Pump, the most widely used model of these pumps, can pull water from a source (such as a pond, lake, stream, or well) as deep as 30 feet below the pump. It can then pressurize the water and spray it continuously to a height over 40 feet above the pump. It can also push water through a hosepipe for as far as 1,000 feet on flat ground, and it has the ability to irrigate as much as two acres of land. It retails for about US$100, and its users are earning an average of US$1,000 profit per year.
More recently, Fisher and his KickStart team invented the MoneyMaker Hip Pump, which is more affordable than the Super MoneyMaker Pump to lower barriers of entry to commercial irrigation. Unlike a treadle pump, its unique pivoted design allows the operator to pump water using his or her arms, legs, and body weight in an easy-to-use rocking motion. More than 4,300 farmers in Kenya, Tanzania, and Mali are already using this pump. The Hip Pump retails for about US$35; it can be used to irrigate over an acre of land, and its users are earning an average annual profit of US$650.
"The MoneyMaker pumps Martin designed are inspirational on many levels," said award nominator David M. Kelley, IDEO chairman and founder of the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford University. "The inventions are remarkable in the huge impacts they have had on poverty and the lives of hundreds of thousands of poor farmers in Africa. They are an exceedingly simple solution to a very complex problem."
At present, nearly 62,000 small-scale farmers and entrepreneurs in Kenya, Tanzania and Mali are running profitable businesses by using MoneyMaker pumps. On average, farmers double or triple their annual net household incomes. Current pump users generate total new revenues equivalent to 0.6 percent of Kenya's GDP, and 0.25 percent of Tanzania's GDP.
KickStarting Sustainability
In 1984, while a doctoral candidate in mechanical engineering at Stanford University, Fisher traveled to Peru where he first witnessed rural poverty. The experience motivated him to explore ways technology and engineering could be applied to alleviate poverty. After completing his degree he won a Fulbright Scholarship to study technology-oriented solutions for rural poverty in Kenya. Fisher went for 10 months and stayed for 17 years. As he worked on traditional development projects for the first five years, he became increasingly disillusioned by the lack of sustainable impacts on poverty. In collaboration with fellow development worker Nick Moon, Fisher established ApproTEC - the organization that would become KickStart.
"The vast majority of development is about giving things away, and most development agencies see the poor as victims asking for help," Fisher explained. "At KickStart, we have a very different opinion of them. We see them as entrepreneurs. We see them as extremely hardworking people seeking the opportunity to get out of poverty."
Inventing something is only one step in the process of a successful innovation. Fisher knows this well ¾ he supports his inventions with a market-based development approach that ‘kick-starts' a sustainable cycle of wealth creation. Fisher commercializes his inventions through a private sector supply chain, which is profitable for the manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers. Centralized manufacturing and a nationwide retail network ensure high quality, economies of scale, and locally available spare parts. KickStart will soon break ground on a new technology development center in Nairobi.
"In creating KickStart, Martin has created a model that is, by design, sustainable and easily replicated nearly anywhere in the world where people suffer grinding poverty," said award nominator Frances B. Emerson, vice president of corporate communications at Deere and Company. "Because of the quantum leap in income brought about by these technologies, the journey out of poverty is a one-way trip."
ABOUT THE LEMELSON-MIT PROGRAM
The Lemelson-MIT Program recognizes outstanding inventors, encourages sustainable new solutions to real-world problems, and enables and inspires young people to pursue creative lives and careers through invention. This June it will announce the 2008 winner of the $500,000 Lemelson-MIT Prize.
Jerome H. Lemelson, one of U.S. history's most prolific inventors, and his wife Dorothy founded the Lemelson-MIT Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1994. It is funded by the Lemelson Foundation, a philanthropy that celebrates and supports inventors and entrepreneurs in order to strengthen social and economic life in the U.S. and developing countries. More information on the Lemelson-MIT Program is online at http://web.mit.edu/invent/.
ABOUT KICKSTART
KickStart is a non-profit organization that develops and markets new technologies in Africa. These low-cost technologies are bought by local entrepreneurs and used to establish highly profitable new small businesses. They create new jobs and wealth, enabling the poor to climb out of poverty forever. http://www.kickstart.org/.
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WASHINGTON, April 22—Nearly 6,000 researchers from around the world will present the latest breakthroughs in electro-optics, lasers and the application of light waves at the 2008 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics/Quantum Electronics and Laser Science Conference (CLEO/QELS) May 4-9 at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, Calif.
CLEO is the preeminent event for those in the lasers and electro-optics community. It will be held in conjunction with QELS and the Conference on Photonic Applications, Systems and Technologies (PhAST). The meeting is co-sponsored by the Optical Society (OSA), the American Physical Society Division of Laser Science (APS-DLS) and the IEEE Lasers & Electro-Optics Society (IEEE/LEOS).
The following are some of the many technical highlights at the meeting:
• SHINING LIGHT ON THE BRAIN'S ACTIVITY
• TINY LASER ARRAYS FOR SENSITIVE CHEMICAL DETECTION
• SECURE COMMUNICATIONS VIA SPACE
• PHOTOLUMINESCENCE IN NANO-NEEDLES
• NATIONAL IGNITION FACILITY—THE WORLD'S LARGEST LASER SYSTEM
• CLEO/QELS/PHAST PLENARY SPEAKERS
Additional research news summaries can be found online at http://www.cleoconference.org/media_center/pressrelease0421.aspx.
SHINING LIGHT ON THE BRAIN'S ACTIVITY
The microscopic structure of the human brain is almost incomprehensibly complicated, composed of trillions of interconnections between tens of billions of neurons. Understanding this circuitry, the aim of modern neuroscience, is a laudable goal for fundamental as well as neurological health care reasons.
Exploring the brain's microcircuitry has traditionally been done by lining up tiny electrodes within or near single neurons to probe their electrical activity. Though well established, this method is invasive and often noisy because of background electrical activity in the brain. A number of alternative approaches use optical probes that can detect neuronal activity with light, but these methods often require labeling neural cells with electrically-sensitive dyes that may be toxic to neurons.
Now Jiayi Zhang, Tolga Atay, and Arto Nurmikko at Brown University have created a new type of dye-free optical probe that can directly sense naturally occurring neural activity. They have imbedded gold nanoparticles into tissue culture and shown that they can measure the electrical activity of live neurons. The technique takes advantage of a phenomenon known as surface plasmon polariton resonance, a sharp spectroscopic resonance at visible/near-infrared wavelengths. Basically, the gold nanoparticles are used to optically sense the local electric fields produced when nearby neurons fire. The neuronal activity modulates the electron density at the surface of the nanoparticle, which causes an observable spectral shift that the researchers can monitor. (Talk CWM3, "Detection of Neural Cell Activity Using Plasmonic Gold Nanoparticles.")
TINY LASER ARRAYS FOR SENSITIVE CHEMICAL DETECTION
Early miners used to carry canaries into coal mines because the birds were sensitive to certain gasses. Modern chemical analysis does the same thing, though much more powerfully. For instance, infrared spectroscopy can detect even trace amounts of a wide range of chemicals, including toxic components of hazardous waste or chemical weapons, because many chemicals absorb light in the mid-infrared band.
Now Federico Capasso and his colleagues at Harvard University are developing a new type of infrared spectrometer that could be just as powerful as these bulky instruments yet fit inside a shoe box. Instead of using thermal sources for infrared rays, a team lead by Capasso, his student Benjamin G. Lee, and his postdoctoral fellow Mikhail A. Belkin, has built one of these instruments, which is powered by a tiny array of infrared quantum cascade lasers on a chip smaller than a dime. The chip holds an array of 32 lasers, each emitting a distinct wavelength and together covering a broad spectral range in the infrared region. The researchers’ new paper demonstrates that their device could identify common chemicals as well as a conventional tabletop instrument, which has a much larger footprint. It is the first time that a laser of this type, capable of such performance, has been reported.
The advantage of using a laser source is that lasers are much brighter than thermal sources thus providing a higher signal-to-noise ratio. The lasers can also be fine-tuned to provide wavelengths on demand to scan accurately for chemicals of interest—akin to having thousands of canaries, each capable of detecting a range of chemicals. (Talk CMH1, "Continuously Tunable Compact Single-Mode Quantum Cascade Laser Source for Chemical Sensing.")
SECURE COMMUNICATIONS VIA SPACE
The exchange of information between distant sources is the basis of all communications, but quantum mechanics may open up this distant exchange as never before. Quantum key distribution, for instance, would allow for absolutely secure encryption of information exchange by encoding information keys on single photons. These photons are so sensitive that there is physically no way to undetectably tamper with them as they travel from sender to receiver. Teleportation of quantized states is another possible application. This would allow future quantum computers to be interconnected using the properties of individualized photons or other quanta.
To achieve this type of technology, an exchange of single quanta between a sender and a remote receiver must occur. Already, some companies have explored ways of achieving quantum key distribution over fiber optics, but it has never been done using satellites. Paolo Villoresi and his colleagues at the University of Padova in Italy, in collaboration with the group of Anton Zeilinger in Austria, have taken the first step to establishing quantum communications in space by exchanging single photons from an orbiting satellite to Earth. They demonstrated how the Matera Laser Ranging Observatory in Matera, Italy, used for satellite laser ranging with ultimate precision, can be adapted as a quantum communication receiver to detect single quanta emitted by an orbiting source—in this case a Japanese low-Earth-orbiting satellite. They also identified the exact techniques needed to detect the very weak quantum signal to be exploited in a dedicated satellite. (Talk QWB3, "Experimental Study of a Quantum Channel from a LEO Satellite to the Earth.")
PHOTOLUMINESCENCE IN NANO-NEEDLES
Silicon is the workhorse among semiconductors in electronics. But in opto-electronics, where light signals are processed along with electronic signals, a semiconductor that is capable of emitting light is needed, which silicon can't do very well. Here gallium-arsenide (GaAs) is the workhorse, especially in the creation of light emitting diodes (LED) and LED lasers.
Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley have now grown GaAs structures into the shape of narrow needles which, when optically pumped, emit light with high brightness. The needles are approximately 3 to 4 microns long and taper at an angle of 6 to 9 degrees down to tips approximately 2 to 5 nanometers across. These needles are not yet lasers; creating them will be the next step. This represents the first time a lab has been able to fashion GaAs into a defect-free crystal structure (technical name: wurtzite) exactly like this on a silicon substrate and without the use of catalysts.
Lead researcher Michael Moewe says that, in addition to optoelectronic devices, he expects the needles to be valuable in such applications as atomic force microscopy (AFM), where the sharp tips can be grown in arrays without further etching or processing steps. Some believe that AFM arrays, besides speeding up the recording of nearly atomic-resolution images of surfaces (allowing one to create atomic movies), might be used to create a new form of data storage by influencing the atoms in the sample. The needles also may be used in producing tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. Raman spectroscopy is a process in which the energy levels of molecules are determined by shining light at a known frequency into the sample and then observing the frequency of the outgoing light. Delivering light from a sharp tip allows a much more targeted examination of the sample, possibly even permitting the spectroscopic study of single molecules. (Talk CTuCC1, "Bright Photoluminescence from GaAs and InGaAs Nanoneedles Grown on Si Substrates.")
NATIONAL IGNITION FACILITY—THE WORLD'S LARGEST LASER SYSTEM
The National Ignition Facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), a project more than a decade in the making, is scheduled for completion in March 2009. When it goes online, 192 laser beams will generate millions of joules of infrared light, which will in turn be converted to ultraviolet light just prior to reaching the focus of these lasers. Electro-optical devices will time, shape, and direct this light. In a facility the size of three football fields, the light will go through a tiny hole into a target made of gold and uranium. This target has the shape of a soda can, but is less than one inch in height. There the light will paint the inside walls of this chamber, heating the metal walls and causing them to emit X-rays that will fill the can, bombard a small plastic capsule in the can's center, implode the capsule, and trigger the fusion of tritium and deuterium inside.
Lead researcher Christopher A. Haynam with LLNL will focus on the status of the light that will drive this operation—by far the largest laser system in the world. So far, about three quarters of the lasers have been installed. These lasers have been operated to more than 3.1 million joules total energy in the infrared. A few beams have been pointed to a target, and a number of low-energy shots taken and converted to the ultraviolet to check their alignment. If it works as it is supposed to, the National Ignition Facility will be able to achieve temperatures and pressures that emulate conditions in the interior of planets or stars. (Talk CFQ1, "The National Ignition Facility: Status and Performance of the World’s Largest Laser System for the High Energy Density and Inertial Confinement Fusion.")
CLEO/QELS/PHAST PLENARY SPEAKERS
David Reitze, professor of physics at the University of Florida, will present "The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory: Probing the Dynamics of Space-Time with Attometer Precision" on Monday, May 5 about the detection of gravitational waves, which promises to open up a new astrophysical window to the universe. He will discuss gravitational waves, what makes them so interesting and challenging to detect and how researchers will detect them using “really big interferometers.”
Albert Polman, director of the Center for Nanophotonics, FOM-Institute AMOLF, Netherlands, will present "Plasmonics: Optics at the Nanoscale" on Wednesday, May 7 about the generation, concentration and dispersion of surface plasmons in thin metal films, nanoresonators and metal particle arrays. The unique dispersion and mode confinement characteristics of these structures enable control of light at the true nanoscale.
Ian Walmsley, the Hooke Professor of Experimental Physics and head of the Sub-Department of Atomic and Laser Physics at the University of Oxford, will present "Meet the Fock States: The Photon Revisited" on Wednesday, May 7 about recent developments in quantum optics. These developments have enabled the generation of exotic non-classical states of light that can provide a new perspective on the character of the photon.
ON-SITE PRESS INFORMATION
A Press Room will be located in Room N of the San Jose McEnery Convention Center. The Press Room will be open Sunday, May 4 from 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. PDT and Monday, May 5 – Thursday, May 8 from 7:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. PDT. Those interested in obtaining a press badge for the conference should register online at http://www.cleoconference.org/media_center/mediaregistrationform.aspx or contact OSA’s Colleen Morrison at 202.416.1437, cmorri@osa.org.
A press luncheon panel will take place on Tuesday, May 6 at 12 p.m. in the San Jose McEnery Convention Center. The press luncheon will offer an overarching perspective on significant new developments to be unveiled during CLEO/QELS. This year’s luncheon topic is “Alternative Energy and Optics.” To register for the press luncheon contact OSA’s Colleen Morrison at cmorri@osa.org, 202.416.1437.
ABOUT CLEO/QELS
With a distinguished history as one of the industry’s leading events on laser science, the Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics and the Quantum Electronics and Laser Science Conference (CLEO/QELS) is where laser technology was first introduced. CLEO/QELS combines the strength of peer-reviewed scientific programming with an applications-focused exhibition to showcase the present and future of this technology. Sponsored by the American Physical Society’s (APS) Laser Science Division, the Institute of Electronic Engineers/Laser and Electro-Optics Society (IEEE/LEOS) and the Optical Society (OSA), CLEO/QELS provides an educational forum, complete with a dynamic Plenary, short courses, tutorials, workshops and more, on topics as diverse as its attendee base whose broad spectrum of interests range from biomedicine to defense to optical communications and beyond. For more information, visit the conference’s Web site at www.cleoconference.org.
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Research in Plasma Physics has multiple and rich outcomes with direct and/or indirect applications. These applications, which
are sometimes inconspicuous and even unknown to the layman, can have significant impacts on daily human life as well as on economic activity. Surprisingly, some of the impacts seem far from the basic Plasma Physics research which gave birth to these key original ideas, but nonetheless represent exemplary innovative strategies. Today, applications of Plasma Physics flourish in vastly different domains, such as radioactive waste transmutation, medicine, isotope separation processes (with fundamental applications to cancer therapy), infection treatment, material processing, torch cutting and welding, flat TV screens, lighting systems, thrusters, as well as countless other medical, industrial and engineering applications. Within the general framework of the relationship between "Science and Society", there is a strong effort on communication between research and public domains in many countries.
The European Physical Society is keenly aware of these important applications. As a dual gesture of stimulation and
recognition, a new annual prize has been created by the Plasma Physics Division of the European Physical Society. This prize targets
research which has demonstrably led to robust innovative applications or important effects on society. Nominations in any fields are
encouraged."
Establishment and Support
The prize is established in 2008 and supported by the Plasma Physics Division of the European Physics Society. The Prize is given once a year and consists of 1500 euros and a certificate citing the contributions made by the recipient.
Rules and eligibility :
Nominees need not now be working on the topics. Any work developped within the five last years (defined with respect to the concerned submission year) may be submitted. The recognized contribution may be a product, a process or a tool enabling practical application issued directly from plasma physics fields. Nominees need not to be EPS members. Nominees candidatures are submitted by nominators as detailed below. Self nominations are also encouraged. There is no restriction in terms of geography and/or nationality.
Nominations and selection Process
A broad spectrum of nominations and in particular from smaller companies/institutions/National and/or Universities laboratories as
well as larger ones is encouraged. To complete the nomination, you (the nominator) are asked to provide the following documents :
1. The references of the nominee (Name, firstname, full professional address, email address, phone and fax numbers).
2. The topical group (within the Plasma Physics division) best qualified to assess the nomination.
3. A suggested citation (maximum 250 characters).
4. A supporting summary describing the significance of the nominee's work (this description is limited to 2 pages).
5. Nominee's principal publications (at most 10).
6. Nominee's other contributions (main invited talks, patents, professional service, etc.).
7. Nominee's academic background.
8. Nominee's employment background.
9. Nominee's professional honors.
10. Your name, full address and email address.
11. Your letter of support. (maximum 1 page)
12. Additional letters of support (at most 2 beyond yours); maximum 1 page each.
These materials are due by April 30th 2008. The committee will then recommend one of the finalists to the EPS Executive Board, and the recipient of the Prize will be announced after the Board has approved the recommendation, by May 18th 2008.
The Prize will be presented during the forthcoming EPS meeting to be held in Hersonissos (Crete, Greece, 9‑13 June 2008). Finalist
nominations will remain active through three prize cycles.
Important deadlines :
Announcement March 23rd, 2008
Applications April 30th, 2008
Decision May 18th, 2008
Submission:
All proposals can be sent to : bertrand.lembege@cetp.ispl.fr
Contacts: Bertrand Lembege, Jorg Winter, Holger Kernsten and Jo Lister.
The National Science Board (NSB) today announced that Norman R. Augustine will receive its 2008 Vannevar Bush Award for his distinguished public service leadership in science, engineering and technology; for his longstanding commitment to the ethical conduct of business and the engineering profession; and for his extraordinary contributions to the welfare of the nation through his advocacy of science, technology and engineering education as national priorities. The NSB will honor Augustine at a black-tie dinner ceremony on May 6 at the U.S. Department of State.
NSB is the 24-member policy-making body of the National Science Foundation (NSF) and advises the president and Congress on matters of U.S. science and engineering policy. Each year, the NSB presents the Vannevar Bush Award to an individual whom, through public service activities in science and technology, has made an outstanding "contribution toward the welfare of mankind and the nation."
"Norm Augustine has served as a superior leader in science, technology and engineering; performed tremendous service to the U.S. government, private industry and scientific enterprise," said Board Chairman Steven Beering. "He's made exceptional contributions to advancing the nation."
 Augustine has demonstrated ethical and responsible leadership throughout his distinguished career, most recently in the private sector, and prior to that in government. He played a prominent role in the 1995 merger of Martin Marietta and Lockheed, one of the largest aerospace and defense mergers in history. He had first served as vice president of aerospace technical operations and then director at Martin Marietta Corporation. Most recently he was chief executive officer and chairman of the board of the Lockheed Martin Corporation. He retired from his management roles in 1998, but remained an active director until 2005. He was also a professor at Princeton University, his alma mater.
Prior to his work in corporate America, Augustine applied his science and technology talents in key government positions under two U.S. presidents. He served as assistant secretary for research and development of the Army from 1973 to 1975, and then undersecretary of the Army from 1975 to 1977.
The Bush Award will be in good company among Augustine's honors. He was presented the National Medal of Technology by the president of the United States and received the Joint Chiefs of Staff Distinguished Public Service Award. He has five times received the Department of Defense's highest civilian decoration, the Distinguished Service Medal. He is co-author of The Defense Revolution and Shakespeare In Charge and author of Augustine's Laws and Augustine's Travels.
Augustine's current and past contributions to corporate, nonprofit and university boards are numerous. He is a current member of the board of directors of ConocoPhillips and Black & Decker, and has recently retired from the board of Procter & Gamble.
Augustine served as chairman and principal officer of the American Red Cross for 9 years, as well as chairman of the National Academy of Engineering, president and chairman of the Association of the United States Army, chairman of the Aerospace Industries Association, and chairman of the Defense Science Board. He is a trustee emeritus of Johns Hopkins and a former member of the board of trustees of Princeton and MIT.
He holds 22 honorary degrees and was selected by Who's Who in America and the Library of Congress as one of "Fifty Great Americans" on the occasion of Who's Who's 50th anniversary.
WASHINGTON, April 14—The Optical Society (OSA) is pleased to announce this year’s recipients of many of its prestigious awards. The winners include: Peter Knight, Frederic Ives Medal/Jarus W. Quinn Endowment; Eric Mazur, Esther Hoffman Beller Medal; Peter W. Milonni, Max Born Award; Bahaa Saleh, Distinguished Service Award; Ursula Keller, Joseph Fraunhofer Award/Robert M. Burley Prize; Kam Yin Lau, Nick Holonyak, Jr. Award; Adolf W. Lohmann, Emmett N. Leith Medal; Richard P. Van Duyne, Ellis R. Lippincott Award; L. Cary Gunn, Adolph Lomb Medal; Michael S. Feld, William F. Meggers Award; Barry L. Shoop, OSA Leadership Award-New Focus/Bookham Prize; Kanti Jain, David Richardson Medal; Brian A. Wandell, Edgar D. Tillyer Award; Robert R. Alfano, Charles Hard Townes Award; Robert W. Tkach, John Tyndall Award; Jonathan P. Heritage and Andrew M. Weiner, R.W. Wood Prize. These award winners join an esteemed group of past recipients in their perseverance, ingenuity and foresight in the field of optics.
“OSA is delighted to honor the top professionals in the field of optics,” said Elizabeth Rogan, OSA executive director. “These awards are given to the science pioneers that have made invaluable contributions to the research, education and understanding of optics and photonics. OSA congratulates them on their achievements.”
The review process for each of the awards is stringent, with all nominees evaluated by a selection committee. While the criteria differ for each award, the judging process remains the same. A nomination form is submitted, along with a brief citation summarizing the nominee’s accomplishments, emphasizing those that make him/her a candidate for the particular award, a one-page narrative description touching on the most significant events in the candidate’s career, a curriculum vitae and a minimum of four letters of reference for the candidate. The OSA Board of Directors appoints a committee to oversee each nomination process. The committee is then responsible for evaluating each nominee and choosing the person most deserving of the award. Finally, the committee’s recommendations are presented to the OSA Board of Directors for their review and approval.
“The OSA Board takes great pride in the accomplishments of these outstanding scientists, researchers, educators and businesspeople,” said OSA President Rod Alferness. “We are honored to recognize the dedication and accomplishments of our peers.”
The awards to be presented are as follows:
Frederic Ives Medal/Jarus W. Quinn Endowment
Recipient: Peter Knight
The highest award conferred by OSA for overall distinction in optics, this award is presented to Peter Knight for his immense contribution to optics through pioneering research in quantum optics and by his unique combination of educational, organization and leadership skills. He is principal of the Faculty of Natural Sciences at Imperial College London.
Esther Hoffman Beller Medal
Recipient: Eric Mazur
Eric Mazur has been awarded the Esther Hoffman Beller Medal, recognizing outstanding contributions to optical science and engineering education, for developing and globally disseminating the innovative teaching methodology now known as “Peer Instruction,” which promotes deeper understanding of the fundamentals of science. Mazur is the Balkanski Professor of Physics and Applied Physics at Harvard University.
Max Born Award
Recipient: Peter W. Milonni
Peter W. Milonni, laboratory fellow and associate in the Theoretical Division (Complex Systems Group) at Los Alamos National Laboratory, has been selected to receive this year’s Max Born Award, presented in recognition of contributions to physical optics. He is being honored for his exceptional contributions to the fields of theoretical optics, laser physics and quantum mechanics, and for dissemination of scientific knowledge through authorship of a series of outstanding books.
Distinguished Service Award
Recipient: Bahaa Saleh
Bahaa Saleh has been awarded this year’s Distinguished Service Award, recognizing outstanding service to the optical community and to OSA, for his distinguished service to the Optical Society and the optics and photonics community, and for leadership in the area of publications. He is a professor and former chair of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at Boston University. He will start a new position as dean of the University of Central Florida (UCF) College of Optics and Photonics and director of the UCF Center for Research and Education in Optics and Lasers (CREOL) in 2009.
Joseph Fraunhofer Award/Robert M. Burley Prize
Recipient: Ursula Keller
This year’s Joseph Fraunhofer Award/Robert M. Burley Prize, presented in recognition of significant accomplishments in optical engineering, is being awarded to Ursula Keller for her seminal contributions to the development and application of ultrafast lasers and, notably, her pioneering work on semiconductor saturable absorber mode-locking. Keller is a professor of physics at ETH Zürich.
Nick Holonyak, Jr. Award
Recipient: Kam Yin Lau
Honoring his seminal contributions to high-speed direct modulation of semiconductor lasers through enhanced differential optical gain, Kam Yin Lau is being presented the Nick Holonyak, Jr. Award. This award recognizes significant contributions to optics based on semiconductor-based devices and optical materials, including basic science and technological applications. He is professor emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley.
Emmett N. Leith Medal
Recipient: Adolf W. Lohmann
The inaugural Leith Medal, given for influential contributions to the field of optical information processing, is being awarded to Adolf W. Lohmann for his seminal contributions to the fields of optical information processing and holography. Lohmann is a retired professor at the University of Erlangen.
Ellis R. Lippincott Award (co-sponsored with the Coblentz Society and the Society for Applied Spectroscopy)
Recipient: Richard P. Van Duyne
Richard P. Van Duyne, who is the Charles E. and Emma H. Morrison Professor of Chemistry at Northwestern University, has been selected to receive the Ellis R. Lippincott Award for the discovery, development and application of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy in ways that have profoundly influenced vibrational spectroscopy, surface science, electrochemistry, ultrasensitive chemical/biological sensing and applications in plasmonics. The Lippincott Award, co-sponsored by OSA, the Coblentz Society and the Society for Applied Spectroscopy, recognizes outstanding contributions to vibrational spectroscopy. The selection committee consists of members from all three societies.
Adolph Lomb Medal
Recipient: L. Cary Gunn
The Lomb Medal, recognizing noteworthy contributions to optics before reaching the age of 35, goes to L. Cary Gunn for his pioneering work in the development and commercialization of silicon photonics. Gunn is co-founder and chief technology officer at Luxtera, Inc. in Carlsbad, Calif.
William F. Meggers Award
Recipient: Michael S. Feld
Michael S. Feld is being honored with the William F. Meggers Award for major contributions to the foundations of laser spectroscopy, and for pioneering developments in the application of spectroscopy to biomedicine. The Meggers Award honors outstanding work in spectroscopy. Feld is a professor of physics and director of the George R. Harrison Spectroscopy Laboratory at MIT.
OSA Leadership Award-New Focus/Bookham Prize
Recipient: Barry L. Shoop
Barry L. Shoop is being awarded the OSA Leadership Award-New Focus/Bookham Prize for his leadership and vision in furthering optics education and humanitarian purposes, including founding the first engineering school in Afghanistan and his contribution to the global fight against terrorism, as expressed in his activities in the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization. The award is given in recognition of an individual or group of optics professionals who have made a significant impact on the field of optics and/or made a significant contribution to society. Col. Shoop is a Signal Corps officer and an Academy professor serving as the electrical engineering program director at the United States Military Academy in West Point, N.Y.
David Richardson Medal
Recipient: Kanti Jain
Recognizing contributions to optical engineering, primarily in the commercial and industrial sectors, the Richardson Medal is presented to Kanti Jain for his pioneering contributions to the development of high-resolution optical microlithography technologies, especially for the invention and development of excimer laser lithography and systems for production of microelectronic devices. He is a professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Edgar D. Tillyer Award
Recipient: Brian A. Wandell
The Edgar D. Tillyer Award goes to Brian A. Wandell, who is the Isaac and Madeline Stein Family Professor at Stanford University, for his outstanding contributions to the science of color vision and color imaging systems, and for pioneering work on brain imaging that has illuminated the organization and function of human visual processing. The Tillyer Award recognizes distinguished work in the field of vision.
Charles Hard Townes Award
Recipient: Robert R. Alfano
Robert R. Alfano, distinguished professor of science and engineering at City College of CUNY, receives the C. H. Townes Award in recognition of outstanding contributions to the field of quantum electronics. He is being honored for his contributions to the discovery and investigation of supercontinuum generation and the development of tetravalent chromium-based tunable solid-state lasers.
John Tyndall Award (co-sponsored with IEEE/Lasers and Electro-Optics Society)
Recipient: Robert W. Tkach
Awarded in recognition of contributions to fiber optic technology, the Tyndall Award goes to Robert W. Tkach for his pioneering breakthroughs in high-capacity transmission systems and networks, including the invention of NZDF (non-zero dispersion fiber) and dispersion management of optical fiber nonlinearities. He is the director of transmission systems research at Bell Labs. This award was presented in February at OFC/NFOEC 2008.
R.W. Wood Prize
Recipients: Jonathan P. Heritage and Andrew M. Weiner
The Wood Prize recognizes an outstanding discovery, a scientific or technological achievement or an invention. This year’s prize goes to Jonathan P. Heritage and Andrew M. Weiner for their pioneering contributions to the development of programmable optical pulse shaping and its applications to ultrafast optics and photonics. Heritage is professor emeritus of electrical and computer engineering at the University of California, Davis and Weiner is the Scifres Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Purdue University.
OSA bestows many of these awards during a formal presentation ceremony that will take place at the plenary session of the society’s annual meeting, Frontiers in Optics, on the morning of Tuesday, Oct. 21 at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center in Rochester, N.Y. More information about the OSA awards program, previous award winners and the annual meeting can be found on OSA's Web site at www.osa.org.
About OSA
Uniting more than 70,000 professionals from 134 countries, the Optical Society (OSA) brings together the global optics community through its programs and initiatives. Since 1916 OSA has worked to advance the common interests of the field, providing educational resources to the scientists, engineers and business leaders who work in the field by promoting the science of light and the advanced technologies made possible by optics and photonics. OSA publications, events, technical groups and programs foster optics knowledge and scientific collaboration among all those with an interest in optics and photonics. For more information, visit www.osa.org.
Editor’s Note: Complete biographies for and photos of the recipients are available upon request.
Contact:
Angela Stark
Optical Society
202.416.1443
astark@osa.org
The University of Pittsburgh today announced the creation of a new Center for Energy as part of what Pitt Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg referred to as "the increasing need to address the complex energy challenges of our time, which call for more reliable, efficient, and environmentally friendly energy sources."
The Center for Energy, housed in the Swanson School of Engineering, comprises more than 40 world-class faculty members and their research teams who will apply deep and diverse expertise across a broad spectrum of energy-related projects as well as education and outreach activities. The center's five areas of research are energy diversification, renewable energy, clean coal technologies, hydrogen, and environmental solutions.
"Energy will be a defining social issue for the next generation," said Pitt Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor James V. Maher. "We want to accelerate our research in order to be positioned to have a significant and positive impact on the environment as well as the economy while further establishing our home region as a leader in energy research."
Areas of energy research at Pitt already include subjects as diverse as harnessing solar energy and creating clean coal technologies, to developing synthetic and biomass-derived fuels, gas hydrates, high-temperature coatings, and fuel cells. Faculty members from the Departments of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Chemistry, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Geology and Planetary Science, Physics, and Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science are participating in the new center.
Pitt's U.S. Steel Dean of Engineering Gerald Holder said the Center for Energy's mission extends beyond research to include partnering with industry, government, and other universities. "We have already developed an educational program in nuclear engineering," Holder said. "We expect to develop partnerships in other areas, including power transmission and mining engineering."
Brian Gleeson, Harry S. Tack Chair in Materials Science and a professor of mechanical engineering and materials science, serves as the director of the center; Laura Schaefer, associate professor of mechanical engineering and materials science, is the assistant director.
The new center also will be linked to the Pitt-Bradford energy initiative, which has the mission to facilitate education and outreach programs in energy, particularly the regional resources of petroleum and renewables.
For more information, visit the Center for Energy Web site.
Michael R. Luther has been named deputy associate administrator for programs in NASA's Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. Ed Weiler, associate administrator for the directorate, made the announcement Wednesday.
Luther will be responsible for overseeing the safe and successful execution of the directorate's 36 missions currently in formulation and development, as well as 54 operating science missions. Prior to this appointment, Luther was deputy director for programs in the Science Mission Directorate's Earth Science Division.
"Mike brings an unprecedented amount of knowledge in overall science programs along with extensive experience in Earth research. That experience will be invaluable as we prepare for upcoming Earth-related launches and campaigns," said Weiler.
Luther began his tenure at NASA Headquarters in 1987 and has served as program manager of the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite and Earth science flight program director. He has worked at NASA since 1981 when he joined Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va. In 2005, Luther received the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal.
"It is an honor and a privilege to assist Ed Weiler and Deputy Associate Administrator Chuck Gay in managing the world's premier civilian space science organization," Luther said. Luther's predecessor, Todd May, who served in the position since 2007, will return to Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.
NASA's Science Mission Directorate conducts research and scientific programs to observe the Earth, study space weather and explore the solar system and the universe beyond. To achieve these scientific goals, NASA manages a diverse constellation of spacecraft and conducts an assortment of grant-based research programs.
Michael R. Luther has been named deputy associate administrator for programs in NASA's Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. Ed Weiler, associate administrator for the directorate, made the announcement Wednesday.
Luther will be responsible for overseeing the safe and successful execution of the directorate's 36 missions currently in formulation and development, as well as 54 operating science missions. Prior to this appointment, Luther was deputy director for programs in the Science Mission Directorate's Earth Science Division.
"Mike brings an unprecedented amount of knowledge in overall science programs along with extensive experience in Earth research. That experience will be invaluable as we prepare for upcoming Earth-related launches and campaigns," said Weiler.
Luther began his tenure at NASA Headquarters in 1987 and has served as program manager of the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite and Earth science flight program director. He has worked at NASA since 1981 when he joined Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va. In 2005, Luther received the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal.
"It is an honor and a privilege to assist Ed Weiler and Deputy Associate Administrator Chuck Gay in managing the world's premier civilian space science organization," Luther said. Luther's predecessor, Todd May, who served in the position since 2007, will return to Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.
NASA's Science Mission Directorate conducts research and scientific programs to observe the Earth, study space weather and explore the solar system and the universe beyond. To achieve these scientific goals, NASA manages a diverse constellation of spacecraft and conducts an assortment of grant-based research programs.
The Silver Dirac Medal for the Advancement of Theoretical Physics is awarded by the University of New South Wales on the occasion of the Public Dirac Lecture. The Lecture and the Medal commemorate the visit to the University in 1975 of Professor P.A.M. Dirac, one of the greatest theoretical physicists of the century. Professor Dirac gave five lectures at the University, which were subsequently published as a book Directions of Physics (Wiley, 1978 – H. Hora and J. Shepanski, eds.). Professor Dirac kindly donated the royalties from this book to the University for the establishment of the Dirac Lecture series.
Harald Fritzsch is the 17th recipient of the Dirac medal and will speak on the 15 April 2008 at the University of New South Wales on the fundamental constants in physics, and the advantages of quantum optic experiments in understanding the values of these constants.
 Harald Fritzsch was born and raised near Zwickau in East Germany. He studied physics at the University of Leipzig and was a member of a group of students and scientists that opposed the communist government. In 1968 he was forced to escape from East Germany and settled in Munich, where he became a graduate student at the MPI. In 1971 he obtained his Ph.D. at the Technical University in Munich.
As a graduate student he started a lifelong collaboration with Murray Gell-Mann at Caltech. After becoming professor at the Universities of Wuppertal in Germany and Bern in Switzerland, he obtained in 1980 the Sommerfeld Chair for Physics at the University of Munich.
In 1972 Fritzsch and Gell-Mann wrote the first paper on the gauge theory of the strong interactions, which they later named Quantum Chromodynamics. For the past 35 years he has worked on this theory and investigated many of its features, including scaling violations and the spin problem.
In 1975 Fritzsch proposed together with Minkowski the SO(10)-theory of Grand Unification, which is today the outstanding candidate for a unified theory. He has published many papers on features of the weak interactions and proposed the so-called Fritzsch matrices to describe the flavour mixing. He has recently applied these ideas to lepton mixing and neutrino oscillations.
Fritzsch has written several successful general books on particle physics, cosmology, relativity theory and fundamental constants, which have been translated into many languages.
He received the Medal for science publishing of the German Physical Society in 1994, and is a member of the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Science.
The 2008 Andrei Sakharov Prize will be awarded to Liangying Xu at the APS April meeting in St. Louis. The award
recognizes Xu for "A lifetime's advocacy of truth, democracy and human rights -- despite surveillance and house arrest, harassment and threats, even banishment -- through his writings, and publicly speaking his mind."
Xu has been an outspoken scientist and activist in China for most of his professional life. Through a span of repressive governments, he has defended academic and scientific freedom, and basic human rights.
Xu's son, Chenggang Xu, will accept the prize on behalf of the award winner on Sunday April 13, at 5:30 pm. This year's Andrei Sakharov Award lecture is titled "Xu Liangying – A lifetime's advocacy of truth, democracy and human rights". The lecture was prepared by the award winner and will be delivered in a power-point presentation in English by Danian Hu, author of the book "China
and Albert Einstein" on Monday, April 14 at 2:06 pm, in session S6.00002.
Chenggang Xu will take part in a press conference to discuss his father's work at 1:00 PM, Sunday, April 13 at the Hyatt Regency St. Louis Riverfront Hotel. He will be joined by Zuoyue Wang, a science historian and a former graduate student of Professor Liangying Xu, who will talk about Einstein's influence on Prof. Xu's human rights activities.
Liangying Xu's humanitarian efforts began when he joined the early communist revolution, during a time when an overwhelming percentage of Chinese citizens lived in stark poverty. He then openly criticized Mao Zedong's regime, as it grew increasingly repressive of academic freedom and alternative political ideas. His political stance put damaging pressure on his family and his professional life, and pushed Xu into exile. In 1962, during his exile, Xu took on the task of translating some of Einstein's
philosophical and scientific works into Chinese. But the Chinese and Soviet governments believed Einstein's scientific and philosophical works were anti-Marxist. Xu chose to defend Einstein, his life-long icon, rather than the Marxist idealism he once supported. When the Cultural Revolution came in 1969, the Red Guards confiscated Dr. Xu's translations. Xu fought to regain
the papers, which were eventually returned, and published in the late 1970's. In 1989 Xu and his friends drafted an open letter titled, "Without Democracy There Will be No Reform" for the Chinese magazine Future and Development. The letter helped inspire the students who crowded Tiananmen Square in 1989; leading to the tragic massacre that attracted world wide attention. The government put Xu under house arrest for the letter, sparing him from prison because of his ill health.
Xu has since published three other letters calling for human rights in China; all resulting in his house arrest. His book My Views: Xu Liangying's Collection of Essays on Science, Democracy and Reason was published in 2001. His story has been told in the books Science and Dissent in Post-Mao China, by H. Lyman Miller and China and Albert Einstein by Danian Hu. Aside from promoting Einstein and human rights activities, Xu is writing a book on the history and theory of democracy with his wife, Wang Laidi, who is an expert on Chinese modern history.
Jefferson Science Associates, LLC today announced that Hugh Montgomery will become the new Director of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility in Newport News, Virginia. Currently the Associate Director for Research at DOE’s Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Montgomery will take charge of Jefferson Lab on September 2.
“Hugh Montgomery is a superb choice for the Laboratory,” said Dr. Raymond L. Orbach, Under Secretary for Science at DOE. “As Director, he will lead a world class center that can enable scientists to probe the innermost secrets of the atomic nucleus. I am confident that under Dr. Montgomery, Jefferson Lab will continue its outstanding scientific leadership.”
In his new role, Montgomery also will serve as President of Jefferson Science Associates, a joint venture between the Southeastern Universities Research Association (SURA) and CSC Applied Technologies, that manages and operates Jefferson Lab for DOE. “Jefferson Lab and DOE are fortunate to have Dr. Montgomery coming on board as the new director,” said John T. Casteen, President of the University of Virginia and Chair of the JSA Board of Directors. “He is both a distinguished scientist and an experienced leader and manager within the laboratory system.”
With a Ph.D. in Physics from Manchester University in England, Montgomery has an extensive background in both nuclear and particle physics. His work at Fermilab focuses on particle physics, which seeks to understand the fundamental components of our universe and how they interact. Montgomery was involved with muon scattering experiments at CERN in Geneva and Fermilab, and in the DZero Experiment on the Fermilab Tevatron Collider at the time of the observation of the top quark. In his role as Associate Director, he oversees the particle physics and particle astrophysics research programs at the laboratory. He has served in his current position since 2002.
“After almost twenty five years at Fermilab, this move certainly represents a major change in my life,” said Montgomery. “The new position will be an enormous challenge for me but also an enormous opportunity to which I am looking forward. The provision of research facilities for a broad international community of physicists is something at which both Fermilab and Jefferson Lab excel.” Montgomery added, “I hope I prove worthy of the great team at Jefferson.”
Montgomery replaces Christoph Leemann, who came to Jefferson Lab from DOE’s Lawrence Berkeley Lab in 1985 and who has been director since 2000. Leemann announced his decision to step down from the directorship in March 2007. Prior to that, he was instrumental in the design, technology choice, and construction of the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF) – as Jefferson Lab was originally known. Leemann, who has continued to serve throughout the search process, will retain the title of Director-Emeritus.
The JSA Board of Directors appointed an internationally representative search committee that convened six weeks after Leemann’s announcement. The 13-member committee undertook extensive outreach to solicit input, advice and nominations from international scientific leaders. It interviewed candidates and presented a unanimous recommendation to the JSA Board and DOE to approve the appointment of Montgomery as the Lab’s third director.
“We are all delighted that Hugh Montgomery has agreed to take on the leadership of Jefferson Laboratory at this critical time in its history,” said Thomas Appelquist, Professor of Physics at Yale University and JSA Board member, who chaired the search committee.
SURA was awarded the original contract to build the lab in 1984 and operated it exclusively until 2006. DOE released a request for proposal to recompete the contract for the 700-employee facility in December 2005, and awarded the new contract to JSA, LLC in April 2006. Jefferson Lab is a renowned research facility with more than 2,000 international users . Nearly one-third of the Ph.D.’s awarded in nuclear physics in the U.S. result from research done at Jefferson Lab, and more than 90 new faculty positions in the nuclear physics discipline have been added to universities across the south since SURA brought the Lab to the region.
NASA Administrator Michael D. Griffin issued the following statement Wednesday regarding the announcement that Dr. S.
Alan Stern, NASA associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate, has decided to leave the agency.
"Alan has rendered invaluable service to NASA as the Principal Investigator for the Pluto/New Horizons mission, as a member of the
NASA Advisory Council, and as the associate administrator of the Science Mission Directorate. While I deeply regret his decision to
leave NASA, I understand his reasons for doing so, and wish him all the best in his future endeavors."
Griffin also announced that Dr. Edward J. Weiler, director of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., will serve as interim associate administrator.
Weiler was appointed to Goddard in August 2004. Previously, he had served as the associate administrator for the agency's Space Science Enterprise from 1998 to 2004.
Prior to his selection as associate administrator, Weiler served as the director of the Astronomical Search for Origins Program at NASA Headquarters in Washington. He also served as the chief scientist for the Hubble Space Telescope from 1979 until 1998. Weiler joined Headquarters in 1978 as a staff scientist and was promoted to the chief of the Ultraviolet/Visible and Gravitational Astrophysics Division in 1979.
"Though we regret Alan's departure, we are pleased to welcome Dr. Ed Weiler back to NASA HQ once again to assume the mantle of SMD
leadership. With his experienced guidance, science at NASA will continue to thrive," said Griffin.
A native of Chicago, Weiler earned his doctorate in Astrophysics from Northwestern University in 1976.
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