Biography
Dr. Kathleen Richardson is UCF Trustee Chair, Pegasus Professor of Optics and Materials Science and Engineering and Florida Photonics Center of Excellence (FPCE) Professor at CREOL/College of Optics and Photonics at the University of Central FL, where she runs the Glass Processing and Characterization Laboratory (GPCL).
Prof. Richardson and her research team carry out design, synthesis and characterization of novel glass, glass ceramic and ceramic materials for optical applications, examining the role of structure/property relationships on resulting optical function and performance in bulk, planar and fiber optical materials. Her team is a leading source of global expertise and workforce development in the design, fabrication and characterization of prototype next generation materials for use in infrared components, devices and systems. Her group benefits from extensive industrial and government-supported research developing novel materials and metrology methodologies for broadband infrared (IR) optical systems. Active programs include efforts on gradient refractive index (GRIN) optics, transparent ceramic media, optical phase change materials including their processing via 3D-printing, evaluation of complex multi-material interactions in next-generation integrated opto-electronic chip design, environmentally dependent IR material metrology testing and in optical nano-composites for advanced chem-bio and detection applications.
A fellow of multiple optics (Optica, SPIE), glass (Society of Glass Technology, SGT) and ceramic (American (ACerS) and European (ECerS) Ceramic Society) professional organizations, Kathleen has authored more than 310 peer-reviewed publications, numerous proceedings and book chapters, and hosts a broad portfolio of IP related to these advances. In addition, she has organized and chaired multiple domestic and international meetings within her discipline.
Awards & Honors
- Fellow (Optica (2009), SPIE (2008), ECerS (2019, hon.), ACerS (2006) and SGT (2003))
- External Review Committee – NIF/Photon Science Program, LLNL (2023 – present)
- 2026 Otto Schott Research Award, Ernst Abbe Fond
- 2025 Presidents Award, International Commission on Glass (ICG)
- 2022 UCF Board of Trustees Chair Professorship
- 2022 Varshneya Frontiers in Glass Science award (ACerS)
- 2021 Distinguished Life member – American Ceramic Society (ACerS)
- 2021 Joint European Ceramic Society (ECerS) -American Ceramic Society (ACerS) award
- 2021 UCF Research Excellence Award – University and College-wide awardee
- 2020 Arthur F. Greaves-Walker Award -ACerS Education and Professional Development Council (EPDC)
- 2020 SPIE Maria J. Yzuel Outstanding Educator Award
- 2019 The Arthur L. Friedberg Award and Lecture
- 2019 Alfred R. Cooper Lecturer Award
- 2018 Pegasus Professor Award
- 2017 Sir Richard Brooks International Award, European Ceramic Society
- 2017 George W. Morey Award, American Ceramic Society
- 2017 IDeX Visiting Scholar, Université Bordeaux (FRANCE)
- 2017 Malcolm G. McClaren Distinguished Lecturer Award Rutgers University Department of Materials Science
- 2017 Excellence in Research Award (UCF)
- 2016 OSA 100th anniversary Global Women of Light panelist
- 2016 Advisory Board member, Savannah River National Laboratory
- 2016 External Advisor, EUCerMat program (EU)
- 2016 Curator, Ernst Abbe Foundation (Germany)
- 2016 Nominee, Air Force Science Advisory Board
- 2015 Academician, World Academy of Ceramics
- 2013 Indian Ceramic Society I.D. Varshnei Award
- 2009 Award for Faculty Excellence, Clemson University Board of Trustees (2005, 2007, 2009)
- 2009 Outstanding Educator Award, American Ceramic Society, Ceramic Education Council (CEC)
- 2009 Member, Tau Beta Pi Honor Society
- 2008 Samuel R. Scholes Lecture and Award, Alfred University, Kazuo Inamori School of Engineering
- 2008 Featured lecturer, SPIE Women in Optics Lecture, SPIE Photonics West meeting, San Jose CA
- 2006 Featured Scientist, in Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE), “Women in Optics”
Research Group
Infrared optical glass, glass ceramics and ceramics, photosensitive infrared materials, integrated MIR Planar sensors, optics manufacturing science, infrared optical metrology, graded index optical materials.
Research Scientists
Graduate Students
Undergraduate Research Assistants
Publications
Henry, LJ (Henry, Leanne J.) [1] ; Klopfer, ML (Klopfer, Michael L.) [2] ; Reding, JD (Reding, Joshua D.) [3] ; Richardson, KA (Richardson, Kathleen A.) [4] "Bismuth-doped soda alumino germanate glass part I: examination of the role of Na/Al atomic ratio on the glass matrix and bismuth luminescence properties in the 300-900 nm spectral range" Journal of Materials Chemistry C, Volume: 13, Issue: 47, Page: 23620-23632 2025
ANDREW HOWE,1,* ROMAIN GAUME,1 KATHLEEN A. RICHARDSON1, ANDREW DOTSON2, JOHN HALL2, DOUGLAS B. LEVITON3, MANUEL A. QUIJADA4
"Refractive Index and Thermo-Optic Coefficients of Single and poly-crystalline ZnSe using CHARMS
" XXX 2025
Cosmin Constantin Popescu, Maarten Peters, Oleg Maksimov, Harish Bhandari, Rashi Sharma, Kathleen A. Richardson, Arka Majumdar, Hyun Jung Kim, Rui Chen, Khoi Phuong Dao, Luigi Ranno, Brian Mills, Dennis Calahan, Tian Gu, and Juejun Hu, "2D Addressable Mid-infrared Metasurface Spatial Light Modulator" submitted Nature Communications, (2025) 2025
Christopher Kosan, Sarah Banker, Benjamin Zerbe, Zephyr G. Ramsey, Catherine I. Padilla, James LaPlante, Gil B. J. Sop Tagne, Andrew Howe, Zhiyun Xu, Rashi Sharma, Sawyer D. Campbell, Douglas H. Werner, Myungkoo Kang, Ilya Mingareev, Juejun Hu, and Kathleen A. Richardson, "Role of thermal history in the formation of commercial-scale, infrared glass-ceramics" Int. J. of Appl. Glass Sci., (2025) 2025
L. Henry, M. Klopfer, J. Reding, K. A. Richardson "Bismuth-doped soda alumino germanate glass part I: examination of the role of Na/Al atomic ratio on glass matrix and bismuth luminescence properties in the 300-900 nm spectral range" in press, J. of Materials Chemistry C, (2025) 2025
R. Sharma, J. Marro, D. Wiedeman, C. Kosan, E. Laczko, S. Banker, A. Howe, K.A. Richardson, "Investigation of optical and mechanical properties of sulfur doped GeSe2-Ga2Se3-CsCl multispectral glass" J. Opt. Matls. 168 (2025) 117409 2025
Lynch, PE; Tran, L ; Yamac, EA ; Tagne, GBJS ; Cano, CJ ; Marrero, PM; Phillips, AJ ; Welch, RS ; Wiedeman, D ); Sharma, R ; Richardson, KA (Richardson, Kathleen A.); Feller, SA (Feller, Steven A.); Lacourse, WC (Lacourse, William C.); Yaniger, SI (Yaniger, Stuart I.); Wilkinson, CJ (Wilkinson, Collin J.); Kang, M (Kang, Myungkoo) "Accelerated low-temperature stabilization of glasses via thermo-ultrasonication" MRS Bulletin, Volume: 50, Issue: 7, Page: 830-837, Year 2025 2025
A. Kostogiannes, N.G. Rudawski, B. Ellsworth, A. Howe, B. Butkus, A. Cooper, K.A. Richardson, R. Gaume, P. Banerjee "High-temperature annealing of calcium lanthanum sulfide
" Journal of the European Ceramic Society, Volume: 45, Issue: 4, Year: 2025 2025
Thomas J. Loretz, Rashi Sharma, Anna Zachariou, Richard A. Loretz, Myungkoo Kang and Kathleen A. Richardson
"An Innovative Measurement Protocol for Determining the True Glass Transition Temperature of Chalcogenide Glasses by Differential Scanning Calorimetry
" J. Opt. and Phot. Research (2025) 1–10 2025
Cosmin Constantin Popescu, Kiumars Aryana, Brian Mills, Tae Woo Lee, Louis Martin-Monier, Luigi Ranno, Jia Xu Brian Sia, Khoi Phuong Dao, Hyung-Bin Bae, Vladimir Liberman, Steven Vitale, Myungkoo Kang, Kathleen A. Richardson, Carlos A. R´ios Ocampo, Dennis Calahan, Yifei Zhang, William M. Humphreys, Hyun Jung Kim, Tian Gu, Juejun Hu "Understanding and circumventing failure mechanisms in chalcogenide optical phase change material Ge2Sb2Se4Te" Adv. Opt. Mats. (2024) 10.1002/adom.202402751 2025
Andrew Howe, Mark Martino, Kathleen A. Richardson, and Romain Gaume "The Total Uncertainty of a Prism Coupling Refractometry Instrument Modified for the Infrared"
Optical Engineering, Volume: 64 Issue: 2
Article Number: 024108 2025
Alexandros Kostogiannes, Nicholas G. Rudawski, Brianna Ellsworth, Andrew Howe, Brian Butkus, Andrew Cooper, Kathleen A. Richardson, Romain Gaume, Parag Banerjee "High temperature annealing behavior of calcium lanthanum sulfide ceramics" J. European Cer. Soc., 45 (2025) 117062 2025
P. E. Lynch, L. Tran, E. A. Yamac, G. B. J. Sop Tagne, C. J. Cano, P. M. Marrero, A. J. Phillips, R. S. Welch, D. Wiedeman, R. Sharma, K. A. Richardson, S. Feller, W. LaCourse, S. I. Yaniger, C. J. Wilkinson, and M. Kang "Accelerated Low-Temperature Stabilization of Glasses via Thermo-Ultrasonication
" submitted, Applied Materials Today (2024) 2024
Marie Sykes, Casey Schwarz, Rashi Sharma, Eric Bissell, Kathleen Richardson, Parag Banerjee "Bioactive Glass Beads as a Route to Passive Drug Delivery
" MRS Advances, Volume: 9, Issue: 19, Page: 1501-1504, Special Issue: SI, Year: 2024 2024
Alvarez, R; Zachariou, A; Mingareev, I; Loretz, TJ; Sharma, R; Cook, J ; Blanco, C; Richardson, MC ; Howe, A; Lynch, PE; Tagne, GBJS; Wang, K; Klucinec, J; Kang, MYK; Richardson, KA "Photothermally-Engineered Crystallization of GAP-Se Bulk Chalcogenide Nanocomposites toward the Realization of 3D Gradient Refractive Index Profiles
" Advanced Optical Materials, Volume: 12, Issue: 36, (2024) 2024
Wiedeman, D (Wiedeman, Daniel) [1] ; Sharma, R (Sharma, Rashi) [1] ; Bissell, E (Bissell, Eric) [2] ; Banerjee, P (Banerjee, Parag) [2] ; Schwarz, C (Schwarz, Casey) [3] ; Mills, B (Mills, Brian) [4] , [5] ; Hu, JJ (Hu, Juejun) [4] ; Callahan, D (Callahan, Dennis) [6] ; Richardson, KA (Richardson, Kathleen a.) [2] , [7] "Solution-based processing of Ge2Sb2Se4Te optical phase change materials
" Optical Materials Express, Volume: 14, Issue: 12, Page: 2874-2883, (2024) 2024
Daniel Wiedeman, Rashi Sharma, Eric Bissel, Parag Banerjee, Casey Schwarz, Brian Mills, Juejun Hu, Dennis Callahan and Kathleen A. Richardson "Solution-Based Processing of Ge2Sb2Se4Te1 Thin Films for Optical Phase Change Materials" Opt. Mat. Exp. 14 (12), 2874-2883 (2024) 2024
H. Soufiani, A. Kostogiannes, C. Rivero-Baleine, K.A. Richardson, R. Gaume "On the Surface Hardening of Zinc Sulfide Windows by Gallium Sulfide
" Materials, Volume: 17, Issue: 22, Year: 2024 2024
Roberto Alvarez, Anna Zachariou, Ilya Mingareev, Thomas J. Loretz, Rashi Sharma, Justin Cook, Cesar Blanco, Martin C. Richardson, Andrew Howe, Myungkoo Kang and Kathleen A. Richardson "Photothermally-Engineered Crystallization of GAP-Se Bulk Chalcogenide Nanocomposites Towards the Realization of Three-Dimensional Gradient Refractive Index Profiles" Adv. Opt. Mat. (2024) 10.1002/adom.202401552 2024
Parth Garud, Kiumars Aryana, Cosmin Constantin Popescu, Steven Vitale, Rashi Sharma, Kathleen Richardson, Tian Gu, Juejun Hu, and Hyun Jung Kim "Robust electrothermal switching of optical phase change materials through computer-aided adaptive pulse optimization" Physica Status Solidi (RRL) - Rapid Research Letters, (2024) 2400177 2024
Alumni
PhD
Hayat Soufiani, PhD, Spring 2025
Jennifer Hewitt, PhD, Spring 2024
Laura Sisken, PhD, Fall 2017
Antoine Lepicard, PhD, Fall 2016
Clara Rivero Baleine, PhD, Spring 2005
Cedric Lopez, PhD, Spring 2004
Hugues Francois-Saint-Cyr, PhD, Spring 2001
MS
Alexandros Kostogiannes, MS, Spring 2024
Andrew Howe, MS, Fall 2023
Anna Zachariou, MS, Summer 2023
Daniel McGill, MS, Spring 2019
Andrew Buff, MS, Summer 2016
Laura Sisken, MS, Spring 2014
Clara Rivero Baleine, MS, Spring 2003
Kitty Elshot, MS, Spring 2002
Susan R. Machinski, MS, Spring 2001
Irene Li, MS, Spring 2000
Karima Chamma, MS, Spring 1999
Margareth Lauwidjaja, MS, Spring 1998
Jennifer M. McKinley, MS, Spring 1997
Somit Joshi, MS, Spring 1995