Recipients will include this year鈥檚 awardees of some of the highest honors the university bestows, including: Pegasus Professor; the鈥疢edal of Societal Impact; the Reach for the Stars Award; the Big 12 Faculty Member of the Year Award; and the Champion of Student Success and Well-Being.

Also being honored are university excellence award winners; those who recently reached milestone years of service; Faculty Senate service awardees; faculty granted鈥�别尘别谤颈迟耻蝉鈥�辞谤鈥�别尘别谤颈迟补鈥�status; and retired or retiring faculty members.

This year鈥檚 celebration includes recognition of Chuck Dziuban, one of the longest-serving and most trailblazing faculty members in school history. His remarkable 55-year-career includes being 麻豆映画传媒鈥檚 inaugural Pegasus Professor and founding director of the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning.

Starting this year at Founders鈥� Day, the Chuck D. Dziuban Award for Excellence in Online Teaching will be given to underscore the talented faculty behind 麻豆映画传媒鈥檚 nationally renowned reputation as a leader in in online teaching and learning.

Here are this year鈥檚 faculty honorees.

Pegasus Professor Award

Hassan聽Foroosh,聽College of Engineering and Computer Science

Carmen聽Giurgescu, College of Nursing

Annette R. Khaled, College of Medicine

Matthew Marino, College of聽Community Innovation and Education

Reach for the Stars Award

John Bush, College of Business

Ana Carolina聽de Souza Feliciano, Office of Research

Shyam Kattel, College of Sciences

Kevin Moran, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Soyoung Park, College of Community Innovation and Education

Hao Zheng, College of Engineering and Computer Sciences

Medal of Societal Impact Award

Zhihua Qu, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Champion of Student Success and Well-Being Award

Suha Saleh,聽College of Health Professions and Sciences

Big 12 Faculty Member of the Year

Deborah Beidel, College of Sciences

Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching

College Awardees

Tanvir Ahmed, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Norine Blanch, College of Community Innovation and Education

Matthew Bryan, College of Arts and Humanities

Peter Delfyett, College of Optics and Photonics

Nyla Dil, College of Medicine

Katia Ferdowsi, College of Health Professions and Sciences

Murat Hancer, Rosen College of Hospitality Management

Deborah Horzen, College of Arts and Humanities

Richard Jerousek, College of Sciences

Betsy Kalin, College of Sciences

Evelin Pegoraro, College of Arts and Humanities

Richard Plate, College of Community Innovation and Education

Alfons Schulte, College of Sciences

Nicholas Shrubsole, College of Arts and Humanities

Daniel Stephens, College of Community Innovation and Education

Wei Sun, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Danielle Webster, College of Health Professions and Sciences

Sara Willox, College of Business

Xiaohu Xia, College of Sciences

Widaad Zaman, College of Sciences

University Winner

Norine Blanch, College of Community Innovation and Education

Excellence in Graduate Teaching

College Awardees

Shaurya Agarwal, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Kim Anderson, College of Health Professions and Sciences

Christopher Blackwell, College of Nursing

Shannon Carter, College of Sciences

Sasan Fathpour, College of Optics and Photonics

Murat Hancer, Rosen College of Hospitality Management

Dana Joseph, College of Business

Magdalena Pasarica, College of Medicine

Mel Stanfill, College of Arts and Humanities

Vassiliki Zygouris-Coe, College of Community Innovation and Education

University Winner

Christopher Blackwell, College of Nursing

Excellence in Research

College Awardees

Sarah Bush, College of Community Innovation and Education

Zixi (Jack) Cheng, College of Medicine

Enrique Del Barco, College of Sciences

Romain Gaume, College of Optics and Photonics

Nan Hua, Rosen College of Hospitality Management

Kevin Mullally, College of Business

Matthew Stock, College of Health Professions and Sciences

Ladda Thiamwong, College of Nursing

Subith Vasu, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Cyrus Zargar, College of Arts and Humanities

University Winner

Enrique Del Barco, College of Sciences

Chuck D. Dziuban Award for Excellence in Online Teaching

Nicole Lapeyrouse, College of Sciences

Excellence in Faculty Academic Advising

Emily Proulx, College of Arts and Humanities

Excellence in Professional Service

Linda Walters, College of Sciences

Excellence in Librarianship

Katy Miller, 麻豆映画传媒 Libraries

Excellence in Instructional Design

Amy Sugar, Division of Digital Learning

University Award for Excellence in Mentoring Doctoral Students

Engineering, Physical Sciences and Life Sciences

Subith Vasu, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Social Science, Humanities, Education, Business, Art and Health

David Boote, College of Community Innovation and Education

University Award for Excellence in Mentoring Postdoctoral Scholars

Kausik Mukhopadhyay, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Thomas Wahl, College of Engineering and Computer Science

20 Years of Service

Haiyan Bai, College of Community Innovation and Education

Brian Barone, College of Arts and Humanities

Aman Behal, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Corinne Bishop, 麻豆映画传媒 Libraries

Joseph Brennan, College of Sciences

Mark Calabrese, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Li-Mei Chen, College of Medicine

Baiyun Chen, Division of Digital Learning

Joshua Colwell, College of Sciences

William Crampton, College of Sciences

Richard Curcio, College of Business

Donovan Dixon, College of Sciences

Martin Dupuis, Burnett Honors College

Michelle Dusseau, College of Sciences

Dorin Dutkay, College of Sciences

Kirk Gay, College of Arts and Humanities

Deborah German, College of Medicine

William Hagedorn, College of Community Innovation and Education

Joseph Harrington, College of Sciences

Fayeza Hasanat, College of Arts and Humanities

Bobby Hoffman, College of Community Innovation and Education

Elizabeth Hoffman, College of Community Innovation and Education

Alisha Janowsky, College of Sciences

Abdelkader Kara, College of Sciences

David Kwun, Rosen College of Hospitality Management

Stephen Lambert, College of Medicine

Peter Larson, College of Arts and Humanities

Joseph LaViola Jr., College of Engineering and Computer Science

Edgard Maboudou, College of Sciences

Kevin Mackie, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Iryna Malendevych, College of Community Innovation and Education

Jonathan Matusitz, College of Sciences

Holly McDonald, College of Arts and Humanities

Florin Mihai, College of Arts and Humanities

Olga Molina, College of Health Professions and Sciences

George Musambira, College of Sciences

Nina Orlovskaya, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Talat Rahman, College of Sciences

25 Years of Service

Laura Albers-Biddle, College of Community Innovation and Education

Steven Berman, College of Sciences

Tarek Buhagiar, College of Business

Melissa Dagley, College of Sciences

Sabatino DiBernardo, College of Arts and Humanities

Mark Dickie, College of Business

Ivan Garibay, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Anthony Grajeda, College of Arts and Humanities

Bari Hoffman, College of Health Professions and Sciences

Steven Hornik, College of Business

Anna Jones, College of Arts and Humanities

Mikhail Klimov, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Stefanie Mayfield Garcia, College of Business

Rudy McDaniel, College of Arts and Humanities

Rachel Mulvihill, 麻豆映画传媒 Libraries

Christopher Niess, College of Arts and Humanities

Eugene Paoline, College of Community Innovation and Education

Sumanta Pattanaik, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Tison Pugh, College of Arts and Humanities

Walter Sotero, College of Sciences

Suren Tatulian, College of Sciences

Nizam Uddin, College of Sciences

Lei Wei, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Graham Worthy, College of Sciences

Shin-Tson Wu, College of Optics and Photonics

30 Years of Service

Charlie Abraham, College of Arts and Humanities

Helen Becker, College of Business

James Campbell, College of Arts and Humanities

Karl X. Chai, College of Medicine

Ratna Chakrabarti, College of Medicine

Jill Fjelstul, Rosen College of Hospitality Management

Barbara Fritzsche, College of Sciences

Nora Lee Garc铆a, College of Arts and Humanities

Linwood Jones, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Alexander Katsevich, College of Sciences

Kuotsai Tom Liou, College of Community Innovation and Education

Lisa Logan, College of Arts and Humanities

Humberto L贸pez Cruz, College of Arts and Humanities

Eric Martin, Office of Research

Kevin Meehan, College of Arts and Humanities

Charles H. Reilly, Office of the Provost

Timothy Rotarius, College of Community Innovation and Education

Peter Spyers-Duran, 麻豆映画传媒 Libraries

Alexander Tovbis, College of Sciences

Laurence von Kalm, College of Sciences

Linda Walters, College of Sciences

Bruce Wilson, College of Sciences

Hong Zhang, College of Arts and Humanities

Ying Zhang, 麻豆映画传媒 Libraries

35 Years of Service

Issa Batarseh, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Alain Kassab, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Mansooreh Mollaghasemi, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Robert Peale, College of Sciences

Chung-Ching Wang, College of Sciences

40 Years of Service

Ahmad Elshennawy, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Michael Georgiopoulos, College of Engineering and Computer Science

David Hagan, College of Optics and Photonics

Anna Lillios, College of Arts and Humanities

Mubarak Shah, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Kalpathy Sundaram, College of Engineering and Computer Science

45 Years of Service

Robert Rivers, College of Arts and Humanities

55 Years of Service

Chuck Dziuban, Division of Digital Learning

Faculty Emeritus and Emerita

Lynn Casmier-Paz, College of Arts and Humanities

James Clark, College of Arts and Humanities

Teresa Dorman, College of Sciences

Chuck Dziuban, Division of Digital Learning

Amy Giroux, College of Arts and Humanities

Glenda Gunter, College of Community Innovation and Education

Michael Hampton, College of Sciences

Richard Hofler, College of Business

Robin Kohn, College of Health Professions and Sciences

Piotr Mikusinski, College of Sciences

Ram Mohapatra, College of Sciences

Donna Neff, College of Nursing

Alice Noblin, College of Community Innovation and Education

Robert Peale, College of Sciences

Trey Philpotts, College of Arts and Humanities

Robin Roberts, College of Business

Sherron Killingsworth Roberts, College of Community Innovation and Education

Lisa Roney, College of Arts and Humanities

Sybil St. Claire, College of Arts and Humanities

Terry Ann Thaxton, College of Arts and Humanities

Deborah Weaver, College of Arts and Humanities

Retired Faculty

Ahlam Al-Rawi, College of Sciences

Donna Breit, College of Nursing

Martha Brenckle, College of Arts and Humanities

Chinyen Chuo, Student Success and Well-Being

Therese Coleman, College of Health Professions and Sciences

Robertico Croes, Rosen College of Hospitality Management

Juli Dixon, College of Community Innovation and Education

Teresa Dorman, College of Sciences

Chuck Dziuban, Division of Digital Learning

Philip Fairey, Office of Research

John Fauth, College of Sciences

Amy Giroux, College of Arts and Humanities

Glenda Gunter, College of Community Innovation and Education

Michael Hampton, College of Sciences

Roger Handberg, College of Sciences

C. Keith Harrison, College of Business

Randall Hewitt, College of Community Innovation and Education

Rebecca Hines, College of Community Innovation and Education

Richard Hofler, College of Business

Charlie Hughes, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Alvaro Islas, College of Sciences

Mourad Ismail, College of Sciences

David Jenkins, College of Sciences

Michael Johnson, Office of the Provost

Dayle Jones, College of Community Innovation and Education

Denise Kay, College of Medicine

Gary Leavens, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Mary Little, College of Community Innovation and Education

Humberto L贸pez Cruz, College of Arts and Humanities

Michael Macedonia, Office of Research

Wasfy Mikhael, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Piotr Mikusinski, College of Sciences

Roslyn Miller, Division of Digital Learning

Ram Mohapatra, College of Sciences

Vicki Montoya, College of Nursing

Brian Moore, College of Sciences

Donna Felber Neff, College of Nursing

Alice Noblin, College of Community Innovation and Education

Peggy Nuhn, 麻豆映画传媒 Libraries

Joyce Nutta, College of Community Innovation and Education

Jeffrey O鈥橞rien, College of Business

Bendegul Okumus, Rosen College of Hospitality Management

Fevzi Okumus, Rosen College of Hospitality Management

Robert Peale, College of Sciences

Trey Philpotts, College of Arts and Humanities

Brian Plamondon, Office of Research

Michael Proctor, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Enrique Puig, College of Community Innovation and Education

Pedro Quintana-Ascencio, College of Sciences

Mark Rapport, College of Sciences

Sherron Roberts, College of Community Innovation and Education

Kelly Schaffer, College of Community Innovation and Education

Elzbieta Sikorska, College of Sciences

Jo Smith, Division of Digital Learning

Sybil St. Claire, College of Arts and Humanities

Mark Steiner, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Raymond Surette, College of Community Innovation and Education

Terry Ann Thaxton, College of Arts and Humanities

Patti Thielemann, College of Nursing

Cheryl Van De Mark, College of Community Innovation and Education

Martine Vanryckeghem, College of Health Professions and Sciences

Jane Vaughan, College of Arts and Humanities

Scott Warfield, College of Arts and Humanities

Debbie Weaver, College of Arts and Humanities

Philip Wessel, College of Community Innovation and Education

James Whitworth, College of Health Professions and Sciences

Boguslawa Anna Wolford, College of Community Innovation and Education

Laine Wyatt, College of Arts and Humanities

Cherie Yestrebsky, College of Sciences

Martin Klapheke, College of Medicine

Stephen Lambert, College of Medicine

Olga Molina, College of Health Professions and Sciences

Euripides Montagne, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Darlin’ Neal, College of Arts and Humanities

Michael Pape, College of Business

Tison Pugh, College of Arts and Humanities

David Young, College of Sciences

Led by Professor Stephen Eikenberry, the team has secured nearly $3.5 million in funding from a MURI (Multidisciplinary University Research Initiatives) grant through the Air Force Office of Scientific Research. Researchers will investigate new ways to view the cosmos 鈥攂ut the applications don鈥檛 only apply to the deepest reaches of outer space.

鈥淲e鈥檙e collaborating on the photonic technologies that we could apply to exploring the solar system, looking for life on Europa, and doing some of the work we need to do to colonize the moon and Mars,鈥� Eikenberry says.

And the list goes on, from accurately identifying and characterizing space debris, to improving communication between satellites, to tracking stars and planets that orbit black holes.

鈥淲e could potentially image forming planets around baby stars in a way that hasn’t been done before,鈥� Eikenberry says.

The team鈥檚 research focuses on two key technologies: photonic lanterns and heterodyne spectroscopy. By capturing, measuring and combining light waves in specific ways, researchers can synthesize images at scales and resolutions never seen before, further unlocking the mysteries of our reality.

Nearly a third of CREOL鈥檚 faculty members are involved, including professors Rodrigo Amezcua-Correa, Miguel Bandres, Peter Delfyett, Darren Hudson and Axel Sch眉lzgen. As of Spring 2025, the CREOL astrophotonics team includes more than 20 undergraduate students and 15 doctoral students. One of them is Tara Crowe, who says she decided to pursue her doctorate at 麻豆映画传媒 because of the program.

鈥淵ou either do optics, or you do astronomy,鈥� Crowe says. 鈥淎nd I really wanted to do both. Surprisingly, there are very few programs that do both.鈥�

The research funding will also make an impact beyond CREOL, providing opportunities for physics students to participate in the projects.

鈥淐REOL has a very strong history of innovating brand-new technologies,鈥� Eikenberry says, 鈥淎nd we鈥檙e getting some traction. We鈥檙e getting some real motion there.鈥�

A New Type of Telescope

Imagine a telescope with an aperture the size of the entire Earth. What would we be able to see?

But before looking up, Eikenberry says look down 鈥� at your car stereo.

鈥淵our radio in your car 鈥� you tune it. It鈥檚 got an oscillator,鈥� Eikenberry says. 鈥淵ou turn your dial, and that鈥檚 adjusting your frequency. Meanwhile, you鈥檝e got an antenna that鈥檚 receiving all the stuff.鈥�

When the frequency being received by the antenna matches the frequency on your dial, you hear a clear sound.

This roughly describes how the Event Horizon Telescope works to observe the cosmos. It鈥檚 a network of radio telescopes around the globe that combine their individual signals to produce a single image. This is how the first direct image of a black hole was produced in 2019.

Radio waves are a form of electromagnetic radiation, or simply, light. The CREOL team鈥檚 goal is to apply the same concept the Event Horizon Telescope uses 鈥� but for infrared light.

鈥淎 lot more interesting things give off infrared or visible light, than give off radio waves,鈥� Eikenberry says.

For example, the James Webb Space Telescope has produced world-famous infrared images, including Webb鈥檚 First Deep Field, the deepest infrared look into the universe to date.

Eikenberry says creating a global array of infrared telescopes will produce images with a resolution 10,000 times greater than radio telescopes can. However, combining and processing the telescopes鈥� data will require some photonic innovation.

CREOL is working with five other institutions as part of a Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI), including The University of Texas at Austin, University of Colorado Boulder, Yale University, University of Southern California and University of Michigan. The Air Force Office of Scientific Research is overseeing the award sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense.

Eikenberry and Delfyett have been allocated $2 million to investigate the concept.

Delfyett says the key to 鈥渢uning in鈥� the telescopes lies in laser frequency combs.

鈥淎 laser frequency comb is a light source that produces many different colors,鈥� Delfyett says. 鈥淎nd the different colors add together to make very short bursts of light, which can be utilized for length or time metrology, meaning that we’re able to measure the distance between these two telescopes.鈥�

And that precision is paramount.

鈥淚f we want these telescopes on the opposite side of the Earth to be able to look at some object, take the information and add it together to have improved resolution, we must know that distance to the accuracy of the wavelength of light.鈥�

The result: an infrared or near-infrared telescope with a virtual aperture the size of our planet, or bigger.

鈥淭his will give us an unprecedented ability to explore and measure the cosmos,鈥� Delfyett says.

Photonic Lanterns Light the Way

Delfyett says the same technology can be used to look back down on the Earth. Using a constellation of small satellites, the images that could be captured would have the same signature, ultra-high resolution.

This technology has broad applications, including defense and environmental science. Delfyett says it could provide new high-resolution looks at forests, jungles, deserts and even three-dimensional cloud structures.

On the ground, Eikenberry says the telescope array could provide the same close-up view of objects in orbit, including a precise observation not just of the outside 鈥� but the inside of the International Space Station, which is in low-Earth orbit.

鈥淲ith this technology, we would look through the window and read the 10-point font of the text message a person just got from his wife back home,鈥� he says.

Eikenberry says this could prove useful in identifying cracks and other defects on expensive equipment high above the Earth鈥檚 surface, which are major concerns for the safety of people and equipment in orbit.

鈥淎 piece of space debris the size of a big marble can knock out your billion-dollar satellite,鈥� Eikenberry says. 鈥淎nd right now, with the classical diffraction limit, even with adaptive optics to remove the blurring of the atmosphere, you still only get images that are limited by the diffraction of the telescope. You see a blurry thing about the size of a softball, you don’t know, is that a collection of little rocks? Is it a ball of dust? A ball of dust you don’t really care too much about, but a bunch of rocks matters.鈥�

This is where photonic lanterns come in. While the technology has existed for a while, Eikenberry鈥檚 team is now researching how to use them as quantum-inspired imagers to attain the high resolution necessary to characterize space debris. Considering light as a wave, photonic lanterns can measure both the brightness and phase of the light, which Eikenberry says is necessary to sharpen the picture.

Looking further out into the depths of space, while we can detect many distant objects (using radio telescopes and other methods), we can鈥檛 necessarily produce a visual image of them. Advances in photonic lanterns could change that.

Eikenberry points to the formation of new planets around other stars: 鈥淩ight now, we kind of know they’re there by looking at their spectral signatures, but we could be able to actually take a picture and resolve it 鈥� and figuring that out would be a huge leap forward.鈥�

Using this light-based technology could also lead to more answers about the darkness in the universe. Black holes, Eikenberry says, can accumulate material from neighboring stars, and shoot it out in a stream that moves at 99% of the speed of light 鈥� but why that happens remains unclear.

鈥淚t’s a big mystery that’s been around since the 1960s,鈥� he says, 鈥淲hy does it shoot out little, narrow streams of material out of the deepest potential wells in the universe?鈥�

Capturing visual and infrared images could lead to new revelations in astronomy, astrophysics and even astrobiology, the researcher says.

The Future of Space Photonics

Eikenberry says the spirit of collaboration at CREOL is what makes the advances in this emerging field possible.

鈥淲e鈥檙e sort of tying it all together now and making this big push into space photonics and astrophotonics, in particular,鈥� Eikenberry says.

The expanding research areas support 麻豆映画传媒 President Alexander N. Cartwright鈥檚 mission to strengthen the university鈥檚 position as a leader in space research. This is implemented through the Space and Planetary Instrumentation, Commercialization, and Education (SPICE) initiative, managed by the Florida Space Institute providing support to multiple colleges and departments, including CREOL for the advancement of space photonics. The SPICE project aims to attract even more funding by empowering researchers with the resources and facilities they need to conduct advanced experiments for space research and develop emerging space technologies.

CREOL also has plans to hire a space photonics instructor, and the program鈥檚 growth will allow more students to explore their passion for the space industry.

Crowe says her work on the team as a CREOL student means more than just making progress toward her doctorate.

“It makes you feel like you’re doing something that’s going to take you somewhere,鈥� Crowe says.

About the Researchers

Eikenberry earned his doctoral degree in astronomy at Harvard University in 1997. He joined CREOL in 2021 after serving as a professor of astronomy at the University of Florida and before that, Cornell University. Eikenberry鈥檚 research group at CREOL focuses on studying black holes, neutron stars, dark energy and extrasolar planets. He also specializes in building astronomical instruments to observe them.

Delfyett has authored more than 200 scientific publications, holds 45 U.S. patents, and was recently inducted into the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame. He is 麻豆映画传媒’s first sitting faculty member to be inducted into the National Academy of Engineering. He serves as the Director of the Townes Laser Institute and his contributions have been extensive, spanning the underlying physics, device development and application of semiconductor-based mode-locked laser diodes.

Delfyett, who also serves as the director of the Townes Laser Institute and is a university trustee chair professor and Pegasus Professor within the College of Optics and Photonics (CREOL), came to 麻豆映画传媒 in 1993 and now holds 45 U.S. patents.

He is elated to have been chosen, and he credits his recognition to 麻豆映画传媒鈥檚 willingness to cultivate an environment favorable for innovative research.

鈥淚t is a true honor to be inducted into the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame,鈥� Delfyett says. 鈥淲hat I think it really speaks to is not just my efforts, but the efforts of my graduate students and the support we have from the administration to create a positive environment that’s conducive for discovery and inventiveness.鈥�

The 2024 class is the 10th inducted into the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame. This year鈥檚 nine inductees collectively hold more than 350 U.S. patents and belong to many different areas of academia and innovation. Since its founding in 2013, the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame has inducted 77 inventors, who collectively hold over 5,200 U.S. patents. This year鈥檚 inductees will be honored at a ceremony on Oct. 25 in Tampa, Florida.

“The Class of 2024 represents the best of innovation in Florida, and their achievements underscore the critical role that innovation plays in driving progress and improving the quality of life for people in our state, our nation and around the world,鈥� says Paul Sanberg, chair of the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame Advisory Board and president of the National Academy of Inventors. 鈥淭heir groundbreaking work not only advances scientific discovery but also strengthens the economy and enhances our global competitiveness.鈥�

Focused on Research

Delfyett has made the most of his 31 years at 麻豆映画传媒. He has dedicated himself to serving as a resource to aspiring optics and photonics students while .

There are many discoveries he can recall, but Delfyett cites four inventions that he is most proud of, including:

1. 鈥淥ne is that we showed how we can generate the world’s shortest and brightest pulse ever generated from the semiconductor laser 鈥� kind of like laser pointer technology. Everyone knows what a laser pointer is, we can make those with world class brightness brighter than ever has been done before. And the bright the duration of the flash is less than 1/5 of a trillionth of a second. With those technologies we can see atoms and electrons moving around. We can transfer terabytes of information per second.鈥�
2. 鈥淲e then invented a laser that serves as an optical clock that can be used in position timing and navigation satellites, but also for clocks inside your computer to make your laptops and your cell phones run faster.鈥�
3. 鈥淭he third is technology that we spun out for Radiance. Radiance was a company that’s using the laser for cutting Gorilla Glass, stents and next generation fuel injectors.鈥�
4. 鈥淭he fourth one, we have a body of work of utilizing lasers for communication and signal processing.鈥�

Delfyett鈥檚 body of research is extensive and punctuated by honors spanning scientific disciplines and recognizing different aspects of his career.

He recalls receiving an inaugural Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) award from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) in 1996 鈥� just three years after arriving at 麻豆映画传媒.

鈥淭his was something that was even higher than the [NSF Faculty Early Career Development] award,鈥� Delfyett says. 鈥淭he PECASE Award was an outgrowth of the original 鈥楶residential Faculty Fellow Award,鈥� and is the highest honor bestowed by the federal government on outstanding scientists and engineers in the early stages of their independent research careers. In the year it began, the NSF granted the awards to the nation鈥檚 top 20 young scientists. It was a big deal, and I got to go to the White House to receive the award.鈥�

His research continued and accolades followed.

In 2021, he was聽麻豆映画传媒鈥檚 first sitting faculty member to be inducted into the National Academy of Engineering and in the following year, he earned the lifetime honor of being named an American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow.

Opportunity for Innovation

Delfyett鈥檚 interest in optics and photonics was piqued after seeing a course titled, Introduction to Lasers, in his second year at the City College of New York. He says he had a gut feeling that this could be the next big thing.

After gaining some experience in the industry, he gravitated to 麻豆映画传媒 because there was ample opportunity to grow with a young school.

鈥淲hen I came to 麻豆映画传媒, CREOL was just beginning [as a center],鈥� Delfyett says. 聽鈥淚 noticed was that the administration and CREOL really liked to foster this concept of 麻豆映画传媒 and CREOL strongly partnering with the community and the industry. And with that kind of vision, I thought, 鈥楾his would be a great place to be able to not just train students and develop technologies, but to move technologies from the laboratory and out into the real world.鈥�

The dedication to understanding the importance of CREOL, which began a college in 2004, and fostering partnerships is something that Delfyett says has continued throughout his tenure at 麻豆映画传媒. He cites President Alexander N. Cartwright鈥檚 background in electrical engineering and other administration members with backgrounds in science and research as a testament to the university鈥檚 commitment to STEM.

Delfyett remains optimistic that he may yet realize some of his greatest research aspirations 鈥� or at least play a role in their development.

鈥淪omething that I鈥檓 interested in now is a telescope with thousands of telescopes arranged kind of like lenses on a fly鈥檚 eye,鈥� he says. 鈥淚f you can do this properly, you can make an imaging device that could potentially physically image a planet in another solar system.鈥�

Delfyett鈥檚 enterprising ambitions boldly go even further into the sci-fi genre.

鈥淏oom. I want to make the holodeck from Star Trek,鈥� he says. 鈥淭he entire room would be paneled with special holographic displays, and it would truly appear as three dimensions and the floor would move as if you were walking.鈥�

The technologies to make this a reality aren鈥檛 limited to fictional characters like Captain Jean-Luc Picard from Star Trek: The Next Generation, Delfyett says.

鈥淲e鈥檙e working on the technology to be able to transmit that amount of information required to make all of these videos go at that at the rate,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e鈥檙e working on technologies that show that if we wanted to have this in our house, it would only require the power five homes rather than that of, say, a nuclear power plant.鈥�

Delfyett鈥檚 bold aspirations are very in sync with his pioneering outlook on innovation and ingenuity.

鈥淚t鈥檚 great to have this coming from the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame. It鈥檚 like getting the hometown recognition.鈥� 鈥� Peter Delfyett, Pegasus Professor

鈥淚 plant the flag far down the road, and I have no idea how I鈥檓 going to get there,鈥� he says. 鈥淚鈥檝e been talking about these things for 25 years, but over time, the technology gets better and more mature and we鈥檙e taking steps to making these things become a reality.鈥�

Delfyett considers himself 鈥渟omewhere in the late middle鈥� of his career, but he has no intention of slowing his pace just yet.

His induction into the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame further fuels his research ambitions and desire to discover new frontiers in optics and photonics.

鈥淚鈥檝e been around for a long time where a lot of the work that we have done over the years is really now starting to get the recognition,鈥� Delfyett says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 great to have this coming from the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame. It鈥檚 like getting the hometown recognition.鈥�

Accomplished Inventors

Other 麻豆映画传媒 faculty, emeriti and graduates who previously were inducted into the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame include:

• Jason Eichenholz 鈥�95MS 鈥�98PhD (2023) Co-founder and chief technology officer, Luminar Technologies, courtesy faculty member in CREOL; optical science and engineering alum
• David Kotick 鈥�81 鈥�83MS (2021): Senior science technical manager at the Naval Warfare Center Training Systems Division; electrical engineering alum
• Michael Bass (2019): Professor emeritus聽of optics and photonics, physics, and electrical and computer engineering
• Sudipta Seal (2018): Pegasus Professor; trustee chair professor;聽university distinguished professor of materials science and engineering
• Issa Batarseh (2017): Pegasus Professor of electrical engineering
• Jacqueline Quinn 鈥�94MS 鈥�99MD (2016): environmental engineer and research scientist for NASA鈥檚 Kennedy Space Center; environmental engineering alum
• J. Soileau (2016): Professor emeritus of optics and photonics; distinguished professor of electrical and computer engineering, and physics
• Shin-Tson Wu (2014): Pegasus Professor of optics and photonics; trustees chair professor

Name: Peter Delfyett
Positions: University distinguished professor of optics and photonics in the College of Optics and Photonics, electrical and computer engineering, and physics; Pegasus Professor; and trustee chair professor; Townes Laser Institute director

Why are you interested in this research?
We live in a visual world, and our perceptions rely on the existence of light and our ability to detect, or sense, it. With light we can see inside all types of matter, including human cells, and we can watch the atoms and electrons that make up these materials do their characteristic 鈥渄ance.鈥� By watching how atoms and electrons dance, we can create new forms of matter, and develop technologies that use light to communicate faster with each other, perform complex computations at light speed, and develop medical technologies and applications that will improve the health of the global population.

Who inspires you to conduct your research?
In some sense, my students inspire me to continue to push the boundaries of human knowledge. But instead of 鈥渨ho鈥� inspires me to do research, I think it鈥檚 more of 鈥渨hat鈥� inspires me to do research.聽 In this case, it鈥檚 the ability to create something that has never been, that contributes to society in a meaningful way.

How does 麻豆映画传媒 empower you to do your research?
麻豆映画传媒 empowers my research in many ways. First, we have great students, with excellent drive and motivation. Second, we have excellent faculty with whom we can share ideas and collaborate to create new visions of what is possible. Third, the 麻豆映画传媒 upper administration recognizes the importance of research and the investment on everyone鈥檚 part, to achieve greatness, and finally, 麻豆映画传媒 has outstanding staff that provide the glue to help keep our activities on track.

What major grants and honors have you earned to support your research?
One of my earliest honors was receiving the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) from the U.S. National Science Foundation and awarded at the White House.聽 This Award also came with a $500,000 grant to support my research for 5 years. Most recently, I was inducted into the National Academy of Engineering, which is the highest honor that can be bestowed on an engineer.聽 I鈥檝e been fortunate to receive many other honors, as well, and I would like to acknowledge my students and collaborators that I鈥檝e had over the years, that have contributed to making these honors possible.

Why is this research important?
I believe my research is important because in contributes to society in many meaningful ways, and in ways that can transform society and humanity in ways that benefit everyone.

麻豆映画传媒 professors Peter Delfyett and Ronald DeMara are among the 40 fellows elected in the engineering section of AAAS鈥檚 2022 class, which includes researchers at other well-respected and nationally recognized schools like Carnegie Mellon University, Cornell and The University of Texas at Austin. Across 24 sections, 550 total individuals were selected as 2022 AAAS fellows and inducted at a celebration on Friday, July 14, in Washington, D.C.

Delfyett and DeMara bring the total number of current 麻豆映画传媒 leadership and faculty who are AAAS fellows to at least 16, the majority of whom earned the honor at the university, according the latest AAAS data.

Delfyett joined CREOL, the College of Optics and Photonics, faculty in 1993. His research contributions have been extensive, spanning the underlying physics, device development and application of semiconductor-based mode-locked laser diodes. In 2021, he was 麻豆映画传媒鈥檚 first sitting faculty member to be inducted into the National Academy of Engineering, joining eight other faculty who were inducted prior to joining 麻豆映画传媒.

Delfyett holds several positions at 麻豆映画传媒 including director of the Townes Laser Institute, Pegasus Professor, university distinguished professor, and university trustee chair professor of optics, electrical engineering, and physics.

鈥淚 am incredibly honored to receive this prestigious recognition from AAAS,鈥� says Delfyett. 鈥淢y accomplishments would not be possible without the tremendous support I have received over the last 30 years from my 麻豆映画传媒 colleagues, staff and students.

DeMara is a faculty member in the College of Engineering and Computer Science. He is a Pegasus Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, joint faculty in the Department of Computer Science and the 麻豆映画传媒 Digital Learning Faculty fellow. Before joining 麻豆映画传媒 in 1993, DeMara was an associate engineer at IBM and a visiting research scientist at NASA Ames. He is a registered professional engineer.

DeMara鈥檚 research interests are in adaptive and resilient computing architectures with an emphasis on reconfigurable logic devices, evolvable hardware and post-CMOS devices.

鈥淭he opportunities provided by the department, college and university levels at 麻豆映画传媒, from 1992 through my 30th year at 麻豆映画传媒 this past December, are support for which I’m deeply indebted,鈥� DeMara says. 鈥淓qually, I am indebted to my colleagues as collaborators and mentors.鈥�

In a tradition stretching back to 1874, AAAS Fellows are recognized for their extraordinary achievements across disciplines.聽The new class of fellows hails from academic institutions, laboratories and observatories, hospitals and medical centers, museums, global corporations, nonprofit organizations, institutes, and government agencies including the U.S. presidential administration.

鈥淎AAS is proud to elevate these standout individuals and recognize the many ways in which they鈥檝e advanced scientific excellence, tackled complex societal challenges, and pushed boundaries that will reap benefits for years to come,鈥� says Sudip Parikh, AAAS chief executive officer and executive publisher of the Science family of journals.

The 2022 class of fellows of scientists, engineers, and innovators from around the world received a certificate and a gold and blue rosette pin, representing science and engineering respectively, to commemorate the honor.

Other current 麻豆映画传媒 leadership and faculty who have been previously inducted as AAAS fellows include:

• Issa Batarseh (2008; 麻豆映画传媒)
  College of Engineering and Computer Science
  Pegasus Professor
• Alexander N. Cartwright (2016; State University of New York)
  President
• Ni-Bin Chang (2011; 麻豆映画传媒)
  College of Engineering and Computer Science
  Professor
• Louis Chow (2012; 麻豆映画传媒)
  College of Engineering and Computer Science
  Professor
• Peter Hancock (2012; 麻豆映画传媒)
  College of Sciences
  Pegasus Professor and provost distinguished research professor
• Zhihua Qu (2012; 麻豆映画传媒)
  College of Engineering and Computer Science
  Pegasus Professor, Thomas J. Riordan and Herbert C. Towle chair
• Talat Rahman (2020; 麻豆映画传媒)
  College of Sciences
  Pegasus Professor, distinguished professor
• Charles Reilly (2010, 麻豆映画传媒)
  College of Engineering and Computer Science
  Assistant vice provost, professor
• Debra Reinhart (2009; 麻豆映画传媒)
  College of Engineering and Computer Science
  Pegasus Professor and associate VP for Research and Scholarship
• Martin Richardson聽(2015; 麻豆映画传媒)
  College of Optics and Photonics
  Pegasus Professor, Northrup Grumman professor
• Al Sattelberger (2002; Los Alamos National Laboratory)
  College of Sciences
  Courtesy research scientist
• Sudipta Seal (2008; 麻豆映画传媒)
  College of Engineering and Computer Science
  Chair and professor
• Mubarak Shah (2009; 麻豆映画传媒)
  College of Engineering and Computer Science
  Trustee chair professor
• Marwan Simaan (1999; University of Pittsburg)
  College of Engineering and Computer Science
  Florida 21st Century chair, distinguished professor

Delfyett, a 麻豆映画传媒 Pegasus Professor of optics and photonics, studies the application of semiconductor lasers to fiber optic communications 鈥� the key component of programs like FaceTime and Zoom.

鈥淚t is the backbone of the internet,鈥� says Delfyett, who joined the 麻豆映画传媒 College of Optics and Photonics in 1993. 鈥淭his is a very relevant time to receive this award as we are all very dependent on these applications during the pandemic.鈥�

Each year, the American Physical Society selects one scientist who has made outstanding contributions in laser science research to receive a cash prize and certificate of cited contributions to the field. The award is named after Schawlow, a Nobel laureate and co-creator of the laser.

鈥淚 was shocked when I first heard that I received the award and then immediately humbled,鈥� says Delfyett. 鈥淭o be recognized by your scientific peers that aren鈥檛 only peers, but competition as well鈥o me that is the highest achievement possible.鈥�

Delfyett is a graduate of The City College of New York and the University of Rochester; his doctoral research focused on ultrafast spectroscopy. His technical achievements at 麻豆映画传媒 include producing semiconductor diode-based lasers that produced the world鈥檚 shortest pulses from a laser diode; produced the world鈥檚 highest power from a laser; generated the most data from a single laser diode; and generated an optical timing signal that is the most accurate ever generated from a laser diode.

Currently, Delfyett is working toward the next stage in electronic transistors. The number of transistors on a chip continues to double every two years 鈥� an observation called Moore鈥檚 Law 鈥� but physicists generally agree the theoretical end point of these shrinking transistors is coming soon. Delfyett is convinced there is a way to transcend the current barrier. His lab鈥檚 goal is to combine photons and electrons to continue increasing the processing speed of electronics.

Their target: photo-electronic circuitry that can process about 1 million Netflix channels on a semiconductor chip about the size of a fingernail. This would have immediate applications in data centers throughout the world.

Delfyett will receive $10,000 with this current award to celebrate his contributions to the field of physical sciences.

鈥淪cience gives to me a feeling of inspiration that I hope to instill on my students,鈥� says Delfyett. 鈥淏y engaging in science, you have the opportunity to discover things that have never been discovered before, and that is what motivates me to keep on with my research.鈥�

Issa Batarseh, who has made significant technical contributions in the field of power electronics, and Guifang Li, a professor of optics and photonics who specializes in optical fiber communications, are 麻豆映画传媒鈥檚 eighth and ninth members of the select academy.

Election to NAI Fellow status is a high professional distinction given to academic inventors who have demonstrated a prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development, and the welfare of society.

The class of 168 Fellows named today brings the total number of NAI Fellows to 582, representing more than 190 research universities and governmental and non-profit research institutions. The 2015 Fellows account for more than 5,300 issued U.S. patents, bringing the collective patents held by all NAI Fellows to more than 20,000. These academic luminaries have made a significant impact to the economy through innovative discoveries, creating startup companies, and enhancing the culture of academic invention.

Batarseh joined 麻豆映画传媒 in 1991 and has distinguished himself by establishing the Florida Power Electronics Center, conducting significant scholarly research which has resulted in more than 100 published papers in refereed journals, and more than 200 refereed papers at international conferences. He is a Fellow of both the IEEE and the AAAS and, in 2004, received the Davis Productivity Award for Best Invention recognized by the State of Florida. He has graduated 42 Ph.D. students and more than 70 masters and undergraduate students.

Over the years, Batarseh has helped secure more than $12 million for his work in developing innovative power electronic systems to convert energy collected in solar panels into domestic electricity grids and similar topics in power electronics. He is also a founding partner of a start-up, Petra Solar, which is commercializing solar-electronics-conversion systems, and he has received 27 patents.

Li is the recipient of both the NSF Career award and the ONR Young Investigator Award, and is a fellow of IEEE, SPIE and the Optical Society of America. He is a deputy editor for Optics Express and an associate editor for Photonics Technology Letters.

His research interests include optical communication and networking, RF photonics and all-optical signal processing. He has collaborated widely with academic institutions and industry.

Li’s research, totaling $4.7 million, has focused on high-capacity optical fiber communication systems. He has been awarded 26 patents.

The NAI Fellows will be inducted April 15 as part of the fifth annual conference of the National Academy of Inventors at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria, Va. Fellows will be presented with a trophy, medal, and rosette pin in honor of their outstanding accomplishments.

Other 麻豆映画传媒 members of the academy are Leonid Glebov, Shin-Tson Wu, Michael Bass, and Peter Delfyett, all from the College of Optics & Photonics; MJ Soileau, vice president for research and commercialization; Sudipta Seal, NanoScience Technology Center and the College of Engineering & Computer Science; Tson Wu and Marwan Simaan from the College of Engineering & Computer Science.

The award was announced at the 78th Florida Academy of Sciences meeting at Indian River State College last month. Delfyett was unable to attend the meeting, however, so he was presented the award Friday during Optics Day at 麻豆映画传媒. Dave Karlen of the Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County and the president of the academy, and Dr. Sanjay Sesodia from Barry University presented the award to Delfyett.

Delfyett , who has been at 麻豆映画传媒 since 1993, has appointments in 麻豆映画传媒鈥檚 electrical engineering and physics departments, and holds the titles of trustee chair and Pegasus Professor, the highest academic honor a 麻豆映画传媒 faculty member can receive.

鈥淥ur group pursues research in the development of very fast photonic technologies that have applications in fiber optic communication and signal processing,鈥� Delfyett said.

Some of the research he has worked on at 麻豆映画传媒 includes developing semiconductor diode-based lasers that produce the world鈥檚 shortest pulses and the world鈥檚 highest power from a laser diode, and generating an optical timing signal that is the most accurate ever generated from a laser diode.

The professor has been granted 36 patents and recently has been researching lasers that produce many colors simultaneously, which could be used in laser-based radar, optical communications, optical search engines and other processes.

Some of his patents were licensed to a start-up company, Raydiance, which uses lasers for advanced manufacturing techniques in making fuel injectors and stents for arteries to help maintain blood flow.

Delfyett is the second 麻豆映画传媒 researcher to receive the academy鈥檚 Medalist Award. Christian A. Clausen, who has been a chemistry professor at 麻豆映画传媒 since 1977, won the award in 2003. He and his colleagues develop environmentally friendly materials and synthesize catalytic agents that help destroy toxic materials.

The first winner of the award in 1963 was Archie Carr of the University of Florida, who helped sea turtle conservation by聽bringing attention to the world’s declining populations due to over-exploitation and loss of safe habitat. The Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge near Melbourne Beach was established in 1994 in his honor.

鈥淚 appreciate the Florida Academy of Sciences recognition because it recognizes what we do here every day at the College of Optics and Photonics 鈥� CREOL 鈥� share a love of science with a new generation and, at the same time, impact the development of Florida鈥檚 high-tech economy,鈥� Delfyett said.

MJ Soileau, vice president for Research & Commercialization and the founding director of CREOL, and Bahaa Saleh, dean of聽the College of Optics and聽Photonics聽also attended the recognition.

The three have distinguished themselves for creating inventions in the areas of photonics and nanotechnology, which have everyday applications.

For their work, the National Academy of Inventors named Michael Bass, Peter J. Delfyett and Sudipta Seal, NAI Fellows for 2013.

Bass is an emeritus professor in the Center for Research and Education in Optics and Lasers (CREOL) electrical engineering and physics who specializes in lasers and the properties of optical materials. He specifically works on solid-state lasers and systems, which is a $1 billion industry with applications in everything from research to medicine. Bass joined 麻豆映画传媒 in 1987. One of his inventions was to use fiber optics to deliver laser light inside the body to treat a variety of problems such as bleeding ulcers. Other inventions have been connected with fighting cancer-causing cells and improving visual displays and communications via fiber optics. He holds 36 patents.

Delfyett is a professor in CREOL and physics who specializes in ultrafast photonics. He holds the titles of trustee chair and Pegasus Professor, the highest honor a 麻豆映画传媒 faculty member can earn. Delfyett has created various inventions and is working on the development of lasers that produce many colors simultaneously for applications in laser-based radar, optical communications, optical search engines and other processes. Delfyett has earned national recognition for his cutting-edge research and his leadership inspiring a new generation of scientists. He holds 36 patents.

Seal is an engineering professor and director of the NanoScience Technology Center and the Advanced Materials Processing and Analysis Center. He is a distinguished professor and also a Pegasus Professor. His list of professional accomplishments includes finding ways to use nanotechnology to aid in the prevention of retinal degeneration and other conditions. Among his most recent work is a nano-engineered material that can remove large volumes of oil from seawater that doesn鈥檛 hurt the environment. He holds 38 patents.

Election to NAI Fellow status is a high professional distinction accorded to academic inventors. The 143 innovators elected to NAI Fellow status this year represent 94 universities, governmental and nonprofit research institutes.聽 Together, they hold more than 5,600 U.S. patents.

Andy Faile, deputy U.S. commissioner for patents in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, will induct all honorees during the 3rd annual Conference of the National Academy of Inventors on Mar. 7 in Alexandria, Va. Fellows will be presented with a trophy and a rosette pin.

The NAI Fellows will be recognized in a full-page advertisement in The Chronicle of Higher Education and in Technology and Innovation 鈥� Proceedings of the National Academy of Inventors.

Academic inventors and innovators elected to the rank of NAI Fellow were nominated by their peers for outstanding contributions to innovation in areas such as patents and licensing, innovative discovery and technology, significant impact on society, and support and enhancement of innovation.

The NAI Fellows selection committee is comprised of 13 members including NAI charter fellows, recipients of U.S. National Medals, National Inventors Hall of Fame inductees, members of the National Academies and senior officials from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Association of University Technology Managers, and the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

Previous 麻豆映画传媒 winners include: vice president for Research and Commercialization MJ Solieau, optics professor Leonid Glebov, and Pegasus Professor of optics Shin-Tson Wu.

As a professor in the College of Optics and Photonics, he holds appointments in 麻豆映画传媒鈥檚 electrical engineering and physics departments. He also holds the titles of trustee chair and Pegasus Professor, the highest honor a 麻豆映画传媒 faculty member can earn. Delfyett has been granted 35 patents and now is working on the development of lasers that produce many colors simultaneously for applications in laser-based radar, optical communications, optical search engines and other processes.

This salsa dancer, however, also understands the need for art and science to work together.

When did you realize you wanted to work in the field of optics and photonics?

I was looking through the course catalog of electrical engineering courses in my second year at The City College of New York (1978-79), trying to get an idea of what elective courses I could take. I saw the course 鈥淚ntroduction to Lasers鈥� which, in the description, said that it would cover the basic concepts of fiber optic communication. This was just emerging as a new field in the 鈥渃ommunications鈥� area of electrical engineering, and I thought to myself that if I were able to get an expertise in that area, it would carry me through a long career.

What accomplishment have you been most proud of while at 麻豆映画传媒?

There are several, such as being able to develop semiconductor diode-based lasers (laser-pointer technology) that 1) produce the world鈥檚 shortest pulses from a laser diode; 2) produce the world鈥檚 highest power from a laser diode; 3) generated the most data from a single laser diode, and 4) generated an optical timing signal that is the most accurate ever generated from a laser diode.

While these are recognized as record-breaking levels of performance, some of the most important accomplishments I鈥檓 most proud of is helping new young students become young shining stars in the field of optics and photonics. There is nothing better than knowing you have truly helped another person achieve levels of greatness that perhaps they never knew they could achieve.

What do you like about your job at 麻豆映画传媒?

There is something new every day, and being able to work with young energetic students.

What do you tell middle and high school students to interest them in science and engineering?

Many young students always want to become either entertainers or athletes. I tell young students that, in my case, while I am a bit of a musician 鈥� I play drums 鈥� I鈥檒l never be as famous as Michael Jackson; and while I used to run track, I鈥檒l never be as fast as Michael Johnson, who at one time held records in the 400 meter, 200 meter and mile relay; and while I play basketball, I鈥檒l never be as tall as Michael Jordan nor play as well. But in science and engineering, I can guarantee that you will do something that no one else in the universe has done, and you will be credited with that discovery. And the field of science and engineering pays very well.

What are some of your most significant patents?

The most significant patents, for me, can be interpreted in two ways: 1) the ideas which required true 鈥渙ut of the box鈥� thinking to make an idea work, and 2) the patents that have resulted in commercial products. On the second front, the patents that are the most significant are those that relate to the generation and amplification of short burst of light. Several of these patents were licensed to a start-up company (Raydiance) that is using lasers for advanced manufacturing techniques in making fuel injectors and stents that go inside arteries to help maintain good blood flow.

What have been the biggest changes you鈥檝e noticed at 麻豆映画传媒 in your time here?

The biggest changes at 麻豆映画传媒 are obviously the size. When I got here in 1993, there were about 23,000 students. Now the student body is nearly 60,000. In addition, in 1993, the concept of 麻豆映画传媒 having a medical school was unheard of, but owing to the vision and perseverance of President Hitt, 麻豆映画传媒 graduated its first medical students this month.

How important is the relationship between art and聽science?

The arts are very important to science. In the field of the arts, students are taught to be creative 鈥� this is very difficult to teach in the sciences and engineering. Science and engineering are typically taught in a way that is very rigorous and well defined; creativity is very hard to teach this way. However, creativity is the most important driver in science and engineering. That鈥檚 because, in order to create new knowledge and new technologies, one needs to be creative and think out of the box. I call this 鈥渙n your head thinking.鈥� People typically attack problems 鈥渉ead-on,鈥� but if you were to look at the world by standing on your head, literally, you will see things, and things will appear very differently.

What do you like to do when you鈥檙e not working?

When I鈥檓 not working at/for 麻豆映画传媒, I train with a salsa dance team at Salsa Heat Dance Studios, where we perform choreographed dance routines. The most interesting thing is that many 麻豆映画传媒 students go there to learn how to dance the several different styles of Latin dance. When some of the students who know me see me there, they say: 鈥淒octor D, what are you doing here!?鈥� Of course, I smile and say: 鈥淭he same thing you鈥檙e doing here.鈥�