Faculty

Professor Patrick LiKamWa, Ph.D, has been named the newest associate dean of CREOL, the College of Optics and Photonics. LiKamWa moved from England to Florida in the Fall of 1989 to pursue his teaching career at UCF. Prior to his arrival, he was working at the University of Sheffield after receiving his Ph.D. in Electrical…

A University of Central Florida researcher is leading a new, $1.5 million Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency project to develop a highly sensitive infrared imaging system designed to enable improved night vision, space exploration and healthcare diagnostics. The project will use a new infrared detection concept based on graphene — a material that is composed…

Pegasus Professor Shin-Tson Wu, Ph.D., was selected this week as the winner of The International Society for Optics and Photonics (SPIE)’s 2022 Maria Goeppert-Mayer Award in Photonics. The award, named for the Nobel laureate who proposed the nuclear shell model of the atomic nucleus, recognizes “outstanding contributions to the field of photonics and the development…

Proposals from CREOL Professor Shin-Tson Wu, Ph.D., to slim down and evolve augmented and virtual reality displays are the subject of a new feature in Light: Science and Applications. The article details how to take advantage of the recent development of miniaturized optical devices. These advancements offer unique opportunities in the ongoing challenge of evolving…

Innovative research underway in CREOL, the College of Optics and Photonics, received several spotlights in the latest issue of UCF’s main publication, Pegasus. A super-resolution microscope funded by $3.3 million in grants is one of them. Assistant Professor Kyu Young Han, Ph.D., is building the microscope to study the movement and network of proteins that…

BY ZENAIDA GONZALEZ KOTALA UCF is joining LaserNetUS, a consortium of the nation’s best large laser facilities started by the Department of Energy as a part of a broader strategy to boost the nation’s standing in intense laser science. The invitation-only 11 member- network boasts big players in the laser research world, including Lawrence Berkeley…

By ZENAIDA GONZALEZ KOTALA & ALLISON HURTADO Pegasus Professors Peter Delfyett, Ph.D.., and Kathleen Richardson, Ph.D., were among the 15 faculty recognized Wednesday night at the annual Luminary Awards Night. UCF leadership lauded faculty members for being leaders in their fields and conducting work that has had a significant impact on the world. COVID-19 disrupted…

When Peter Delfyett first fell in love with science during elementary school, he imagined he would grow up to be a paleontologist. Instead, the Pegasus Professor of optics and photonics has spent his career developing futuristic technology. From lasers that are used to cut Gorilla Glass for Samsung phones to fiber-optic cable technology that allows…

The Army Research Lab has awarded the University of Central Florida a $4.5 million grant to develop a smart, computer vision-based navigation system for when GPS is unavailable or jammed. The system will be like a cyber co-pilot that supports navigation of ground vehicles by using artificial intelligence and machine learning to assess computer imaging…

By ZENAIDA GONZALEZ KOTALA The U.S. National Science Foundation has awarded UCF a grant to purchase and install an almost $2 million high-peak-power, high-repetition-rate ultrafast infrared laser system — a first of its kind in the world. The money is an investment in the cutting-edge research being conducted at UCF, which is advancing knowledge and…

The September edition of the American Ceramic Society’s (ACerS) Bulletin publication features Pegasus Professor Kathleen Richardson, Ph.D., one of three people recognized in 2021 as a Distinguished Life Member. Richardson will officially accept ACerS’ highest distinction at an awards banquet in October. The award recognizes a lifetime of achievement that has earned Richardson a worldwide…

By ROBERT WELLS One of the nation’s largest philanthropic organizations – the W. M. Keck Foundation – has awarded the University of Central Florida a $1 million Science and Engineering Research grant. The money is for a project led by University of Central Florida College of Optics and Photonics Professors Ayman Abouraddy and Demetrios Christodoulides. The project…