Purdue Prof. Alexandra Boltasseva wins Optica’s R. W. Wood Prize
Alexandra Boltasseva, Ron and Dotty Garvin Tonjes Professor of ECE in Purdue University’s Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, has won the R. W. Wood Prize from Optica (formerly, the Optical Society of America, OSA). This prestigious award is presented annually in recognition of an outstanding discovery, scientific or technical achievement, or invention in the field of optics. Boltasseva is being honored “for groundbreaking contributions to the materials aspects of metamaterials, plasmonics, and nanophotonics.”
Boltasseva says she is truly honored to receive this award.
“R. W. Wood is a legend, and I am deeply humbled to be named alongside past winners – all remarkable scientists, including several Nobelists and other Heroes of Optics,” she says. “While feeling overwhelmed by the level of recognition, I extend my deepest thanks to my mentors and colleagues for their never-ending support and give full credit and the biggest Thank You to all my talented students, postdocs and our entire photonics group. This recognition goes fully to our Photonics team at Purdue University!”
Boltasseva specializes in nanophotonics, quantum photonics, nanofabrication, and optical materials. She served on MRS Board of Directors and on Optica’s Board of Editors and Publications Council. Boltasseva is a past Editor-in-Chief for Optical Materials Express journal.
She has received several honors including the IEEE Photonics Society Young Investigator Award, the Materials Research Society (MRS) Outstanding Young Investigator Award, and was a Blavatnik National Award for Young Scientists Finalist. Boltasseva is a Guggenheim Fellow, a Fellow of Optica, IEEE, the National Academy of Inventors, MRS, and SPIE.
The R.W. Wood Prize was established in 1975 to honor the many contributions that R.W. Wood made to optics. The accomplishment for which the prize is given is measured chiefly by its impact on the field of optics generally, and therefore the contribution is one that opens a new era of research or significantly expands an established one.
Source: Optica Names Alexandra Boltasseva the 2023 R.W. Wood Prize Recipient