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Updated Fall 2023 | Spring 2021 触听By Nicole Dudenhoefer 麻豆精品 S�17

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 internet to operate more efficiently, Delfyett 麻豆精品 S檚 work has been making waves for more than three decades. And now he 麻豆精品 S檚 received one of the highest honors in the scientific community as one of 106 engineers elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) this year.

麻豆精品 S淧rofessor Delfyett, through his amazing work, has proven that he is one of the very best laser and photonics researchers in the world, 麻豆精品 S� UCF President Alexander N. Cartwright says. 麻豆精品 S淭his recognition honors his many contributions to society throughout his career and his leadership that has helped develop UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 culture of innovation and discovery. 麻豆精品 S�

The聽Scientific Spectrum

Established in 1964, the NAE 麻豆精品 S檚 network of more than 2,300 members work together to advance the United States 麻豆精品 S� global reputation by providing guidance to policymakers and government institutions on decisions related to engineering and technology.

UCF has eight faculty members who are a part of the NAE, but Delfyett has the honor of being the first to be elected while a current faculty member at the university. Delfyett 麻豆精品 S檚 induction, which will take place during NAE 麻豆精品 S檚 annual meeting in October, means other current UCF faculty could be joining this rank in the near future.

麻豆精品 S淭his is very special to me, not only because it is the highest honor that can be bestowed on a scientist or engineer, but because all of the work that is being聽recognized has been done here at UCF with graduate students, 麻豆精品 S� says Delfyett, who leads CREOL 麻豆精品 S檚 Ultrafast Photonics Group. 麻豆精品 S淚 know this is something UCF has been wanting to grow toward, which is a really difficult task, and I 麻豆精品 S檓 honored to help the university fulfill this part of its vision. 麻豆精品 S�

Delfyett 麻豆精品 S檚 personal contributions to the base of scientific knowledge include 44 patents that apply directly to the advancement of everyday life. Many of these discoveries use lasers for precision timing, fiber optics communication and signal processing, which help information move faster on the internet and in devices such as cell phones, laptops, tablets and autonomous vehicles.

Another major group of his patents is related to the generation and amplification of very short pulses of light using semiconductor lasers that help build smartphones, medical stents for surgical procedures and microprecision holes to make car engines more fuel efficient.

麻豆精品 S淧hotonics is an enabling technology 麻豆精品 S� it 麻豆精品 S檚 not just powering the internet but influencing the whole spectrum of scientific discovery and advancement, 麻豆精品 S� Delfyett says. 麻豆精品 S淭o know that I am contributing in my own special way to the area of optics and photonics is very rewarding to me. 麻豆精品 S�

On the Pulse

Becoming an NAE member is a challenging accomplishment in part because of how difficult it is to be elected into the organization. New members must be nominated by current members and are evaluated on a range of criteria, including scientific and real-world impact, involvement with professional societies and major awards.

For M.J. Soileau, a distinguished professor of optics and photonics and former director of CREOL, it 麻豆精品 S檚 as easy to see why Delfyett was elected as it was to make the decision to hire him 27 years ago.

麻豆精品 S淲ith Peter, it 麻豆精品 S檚 a monumental task [to summarize his impact] because you take any dimension of what a faculty member is supposed to be and he has excelled at it, 麻豆精品 S� says Soileau, the former vice president for research at UCF for 17 years. 麻豆精品 S淚 think anyone who encounters Professor Delfyett would have the same impression and that is one of enthusiasm and boundless energy in the pursuit of science and engineering 麻豆精品 S� and he is just a really nice guy. 麻豆精品 S�

Through the years, Delfyett has been awarded numerous honors, but his most recent accolades include the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 麻豆精品 S� 2020 William Streifer Scientific Achievement Award and the 2021 Arthur L. Schawlow Prize in Laser Science from the American Physical Society. He is also a fellow of the International Society for Optics and Photonics and the Optical Society of America.

A Brighter Future

While prestigious awards and fellowships are certainly appreciated, Delfyett says the real honor lies in molding students into scientists. To that end, he tries to instill enthusiasm and ambition in them. And the students who work closely with him recognize the benefits of his guidance.

Ricardo Bustos-Ramirez 麻豆精品 S�18MS, one of Delfyett 麻豆精品 S檚 current doctoral students, says Delfyett is an enormous resource because of his more than 30 years of knowledge in the field and his infectious excitement for research.

麻豆精品 S淚 really do love having him as my advisor, 麻豆精品 S� Bustos-Ramirez says. 麻豆精品 S淲hether it 麻豆精品 S檚 been a failed experiment or something really personal, he has always been there. He cares a lot about his students and their futures. 麻豆精品 S�