Qian “Tim” Yang was awarded a 2023 Optics and Photonics Education Scholarship by SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, for potential contributions to the field of optics, photonics, or related field.

Yang is a CREOL Ph.D. candidate supervised by UCF Trustee Chair Professor of optics and photonics, Shin-Tson Wu. His research focuses on VR/AR light engines and liquid crystal optical elements for AR. Yang has already published 17 journal papers and six conference papers.

“Optics and photonics play a crucial role in the display industry, and I feel incredibly fortunate to be actively involved in it,” said Yang.

In 2023, SPIE awarded $293,000 in education scholarships to 72 outstanding SPIE Student Members, based on their potential contribution to optics and photonics, or a related discipline. Award-winning applicants were evaluated, selected, and approved by the SPIE Scholarship Committee.

Since the program began, SPIE has distributed more than $7 million dollars in individual scholarships. This ambitious effort reflects the Society’s commitment to education and to the next generation of optical scientists and engineers around the world.

SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, brings engineers, scientists, students, and business professionals together to advance light-based science and technology. The Society, founded in 1955, connects and engages with our global constituency through industry-leading conferences and exhibitions; publications of conference proceedings, books, and journals in the SPIE Digital Library; and career-building opportunities. Over the past five years, SPIE has contributed more than $22 million to the international optics community through our advocacy and support, including scholarships, educational resources, travel grants, endowed gifts, and public-policy development.