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Gavrielle presents her research in Ven

SPIE Student Member Gavrielle Untracht is pursuing her PhD at The University of Western Australia. She had the chance to participate in the 9th International Graduate Summer School in Biophotonics this past June on the island of Ven between Sweden and Denmark.

At the school, sponsored by SPIE, invited experts from around the globe gave extended presentations on topics like tissue optics, strategies for cancer treatment using lasers, and entrepreneurship in photonics. Attendees also had the opportunity to present their current research projects, results, or ideas. Gavrielle shares her experiences of the summer school with this community in the following guest blog post.

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I recently returned from a week of great discussions and beautiful weather at the 9th Biophotonics Summer School on the Isle of Ven, Sweden. This experience, made possible (in part) by SPIE, was an invaluable opportunity for networking and a deep dive into the world of biophotonics that I would highly recommend to any student pursuing a career in biophotonics or optics in general. It was a great vacation from my regular PhD duties to do one of my favorite things – learn about optics!

SPIE Fellows Stefan Andersson-Engels, currently of the Irish Photonic Integration Center (IPIC), and Peter Andersen with DTU Health Tech, started the school in 2003 to fill a gap in photonics education since no comprehensive course in biophotonics was available. They invited experts in 10 topics to lecture a small group of students with the goal of facilitating education and in-depth discussions on topics relevant to the field. As (arguably) the birthplace of modern science, the Isle of Ven makes a perfect backdrop: Tycho Brahe had his observatory there in the 16th century! He’s notably the first astronomer to use empirical measurements to support his research.

During my PhD, I have spent time at two universities: The University of Western Australia and the University of Surrey. Still, I always find it challenging to find new technical courses in my field. The in-depth lectures at Summer School allowed me to bolster my technical background on many different topics ranging from the physics of supercontinuum laser sources to gas spectroscopy for nondestructive testing of food. The lecturers always made themselves available for additional details or more in-depth discussion on any of the topics they addressed. Even if some material isn’t new, there’s nothing like going back to the basics to help you work through any challenges in your research. Even discussing things you know, but with new people and in a new place can help you see things from a different perspective.

Some of the topics were very relevant to my research, such as lectures on OCT by Wolfgang Drexler of the Medical University of Vienna, although some of my favorite lectures focused on new topics that I might not have otherwise investigated. A good example is lectures on combining optics with x-rays by Brian Pogue of the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth. Thinking about these new topics allowed me to form a better picture of where my work fits in the field and how I could broaden my research horizons.

However, some of the best experiences I got at the Summer School were during mealtimes. (And not just because of the delicious food!) Given the small group size and geographical isolation, I had the opportunity to interact with everyone there, and mealtimes were some of the best opportunities for networking. Now I have other people to talk to when I go to a big conference like SPIE Photonics West!

One of the most valuable parts of the Summer School was having the opportunity to interact with lecturers in both an academic and non-academic way. It was great to be able to discuss my wild ideas with Kishan Dholakia from the University of St. Andrews over dinner, and I’ll never forget playing trivia with Wolfgang Drexler and Melissa Skala from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. These types of interactions help break down the barrier between students and lecturers and facilitate better discussion. Now, I’ll be less ‘star struck’ when I meet a professor whose papers I’ve been reading for years and will have the confidence to go up and talk to them. And who knows – maybe one of the lecturers will be my future boss! (Note: I will be looking for a post-doc in about two years *wink*)

Incidentally, Brian Pogue, is also the editor of the SPIE Journal for Biomedical Optics. Every two years JBO puts out a special issue for the Summer School which features tutorials written by some of the lecturers and research papers from summer school attendees. Keep an eye out for this year’s issue to see some of the things we’ve been talking about!

Summer School attendees listen to a lecture by Brian Pogue

Gavrielle (second from left) with fellow Summer School attendees

John Dudley and Perla Viera in Trieste

Perla Marlene Viera González, an SPIE Early Career Professional Member working at the Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, represented the SPIE Student and ECP Membership at the International Day of Light 2019 celebration in Trieste, 16 May. She shares with this community her experiences at the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) and the impact of taking part in this annual day of recognizing light.

The International Day of Light brings together culture and science.

This phrase was part of the message given by John Dudley during the introduction to the International Day of Light 2019 at the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Trieste, Italy. And it reflects the importance of bringing together the science, technology, culture, and art that involves light in this emblematic celebration.

This year, the IDL celebration was about “Illuminating Education,” and for the event participants, we enjoyed talks about science outreach, development, art, and education that reflect the diversity of projects done to improve the world where we live using optics and photonics.

The official program began with a keynote presentation that explains light phenomena at four levels: rays, waves, polarization, and quantum, where Sir Michael Berry, University of Bristol and ICTP Distinguished Lecturer, showed us how to engage a wide audience using pictures to explain light.

From the National Optical Astronomy Observatory, Stephen Pompea spoke about outreach and how to communicate about light. He explained that setting engagement as the goal of an event rather than outreach shifts the focus to the audience, because engagement is based on participation from your audience and not on the people organizing the event. Rachel Won, international editor of Nature Photonics, also spoke about science communication, explaining that as a science editor, you become an ambassador of science. Finally, Federica Beduini, outreach and science communicator at ICFO recommended we “act locally and think globally” when conducting outreach projects.

After lunch, we had the opportunity to hear about the diverse challenges facing science and education. The first presenter was Krisinda Plenkovich, director for education and community services at SPIE, who explained how photonics is used to achieve some of the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. During the second talk, Brian Liebe, director of standards and research for the Illuminating Engineering Society, discussed that everything—every career path—is touched by light, and we need to pull together science, engineering, and art.

Later, John O’Hagan, director of Division 6 “Photobiology and Photochemistry” of the International Commission on Illumination, described the importance of public awareness and education around lighting quality. He challenged us to take common sense into account when we are thinking about how to implement new technology, looking for the better solution. For the final presentation of the session, Prajna Khanna, head of corporate social responsibility and director at Signify Foundation, talked about her organization and remarked on the importance of adapting the technology to the reality of each environment.

The second keynote talk was about development challenges, specifically, how we can use physics to feed the planet, presented by Cather Simpson. Simpson, who won the third place in the 2018 SPIE Startup Challenge, is a professor of physics and chemical sciences at the University of Auckland where she also started the Photon Factory. She explained different projects that use photonics to feed the people, such as vertical farms, harvesting the sun, and improving milk production. She gave inspirational examples about how to use light science and technology to improve our lives and make the world a better place for everyone.

For the artistic segment of the event, John Taylor, director of the Executive Office at The Optical Society, presented a documentary about an art installation in Washington DC to celebrate IDL 2019 and award-winning photographer Saurabh Narang explained some of his most amazing photographs.

For the third segment of the event, we heard Jess Wade, postdoctoral physicist at Imperial College London and gender equity advocate, talk about diversity, equity, and inclusion. Jess was so inspiring because she demonstrated how something that can look so simple, like a Wikipedia article, could drive change and make a big impact in the world.

Amna Abdalla Mohammed Khalid discussed the aims and objectives of her organization, the Next Einstein Forum, and the positive impact that it is having in Africa by creating a unified scientific identity that fosters innovation and discovery.

For the last session, students and early careers representatives from international scientific societies, like myself, described the work each of them is doing as a volunteer with their organization to promote photonics and IDL. Roberta Caruso talked about the Young Mind project of the European Physics Society. Ezabo Baron and Kithinji Muriungi from the IEEE Photonics Society presented on the outreach programs they are doing in Africa. Duarte Graça and Artemis Tsimperi from the International Association of Physics Students described the great work performed by this society, work done by physics students for students. Xiang “Dino” Dai talked about the work of his OSA student chapter and encouraged everybody to try to inspire kids to learn about optics, photonics, and light.

Student and Societies Session. Roberta Caruso (EPS), Artemis Tsimperi (IAPS), Kithinji Muriungi (IEEE PS), Ezabo Baron (IEEE PS), Xiang Dino Dai (OSA), Duarte Graça (IAPS), and Perla Viera (SPIE)

The last presentation was mine, and I presented some of the optics projects and programs that I had participated in—thanks to the support of the SPIE—including Optics for Everyone and its adaptation to Spanish, and the Mexican curricula for the Dumpster Optics workshop. Finally, all the students presented our opinions about our careers and the importance of doing photonics outreach work, including global initiatives like IDL.

The entire day and celebration was an inspiring event where experts from all over the world explained their work and their projects. I’m very sure that all the people that were present learned something new. And importantly, they were inspired by the amazing work performed by all the presenters to advance light and its impact.

Students during the dinner before the IDL event. From left to right: Guillermo Sanchez (SPIE), Perla Viera (SPIE), Xiang Dino Dai (OSA), Ezabo Baron (IEEE PS) and Kithinji Muriungi(IEEE PS).

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About the author: Perla is an SPIE Early Career Professional Member working at the Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon (UANL) in Monterrey, Mexico. She obtained her PhD in January 2019 in the field of physical engineering, completing her thesis on optical design. Since 2011, she has been an active Member SPIE; she was the treasurer (2011), president (2012) and (2014 – 2015) IYL-representative of the SPIE UANL Student Chapter. Also, she has served as a Student Committee Member of the SPIE since 2015. She is the leader of the science outreach group “Física Pato2 FCFM” which has held several events impacting more than 75,000 people in five years.

Dr. Ashleigh Haruda is a zooarchaeologist.

Dr. Ashleigh Haruda

She examines animal bones found at archaeological sites to investigate the relationship between animals and ancient human societies. These bones reveal information about ancient societies including diet, trade, migration, and market forces. For her doctoral research, she studied pastoralists living in the Central Asian steppe in the Late and Final Bronze Age (1500-800 B.C.E.). These were people who did not practice agriculture, but lived off of their animals, including sheep. “Primarily these people are experiencing their world and their landscape through their animals,” said Haruda. “So, if they fail to move their animals in the right way, or they fail to understand how the weather is going to be that year, they could all die because there was no safety net for them.”

By measuring the bones of sheep found in the steppe from the Final Bronze Age, she was able to determine that these pastoralists did not migrate extensively or trade animals with their neighbors. This was because the morphology of the sheep bones she examined was very distinct from microregion to microregion; if regular migration or frequent trade occurred between these regions, the sheep would have interbred, homogenizing away such distinctions.

Haruda did her PhD research on sheep astragali, which are traditionally used as game pieces in Kazakhstan. When she saw these huge sculptures depicting  the game pieces in Almaty, Kazakhstan, she had to snap a pic!

Haruda is currently the project leader of “Sus 100” at the Natural Science Collections of Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg in Germany. The project is focused on the effects of selective breeding on domestic animals, and how quickly human influences become detectable in an animal’s genetics and skeletal structure. “We have historic pig skeletons from 100 years ago that were raised at the University…and then we are pulling pigs out of the food chain right now and comparing the genetics and the morphometrics of those skeletons,” said Haruda.

The results of that comparison will help to determine a rate of change that can be used to make assessments of time scales on much older bones found at archaeological sites. Check out the video below—in German!—for more detail on the project.


In her research, Haruda uses a digital measurement technique called Geometric Morphometrics, or GMM. GMM is the analysis of shape using Cartesian geometric coordinates to represent the landmarks, curves, and surfaces of objects. Archaeologists use it to generate 3D digital models of the bones they study. Compared to traditional linear measurements made with calipers, GMM allows for a greater interrogation of shape.

One of the largest sources of variation in bones is size, which can be affected by things like animal sex and nutrition level. Scaling of digital models allows researchers to control for size to make more direct comparisons between bones. “Which means,” Haruda added, “we can start to measure variation and covariation among those landmarks, so we can ask a lot more from our data set, and we can interrogate it different ways, statistically.”

Haruda washes animal bones at the archaeological site of Botai in Kazakhstan.

And GMM is enabled by optics! The first scanner that Haruda used to take such measurements was a NextEngine scanner, a device that uses laser scanning and a turntable to create 3D models of objects. Currently, she uses an Artec Eva, which is a hand-held scanning device that can be moved around the object for measurement. Instead of a laser, the Eva uses a flashbulb to generate “structured light,” or a pattern such as a grid, that is projected onto the object and measured by two cameras. The distortion of the projected lines and the offset of the cameras allows for triangulation of points on the object to generate a digital 3D model.

Haruda's "lab" set-up in Kazakhstan: a Next Engine Laser Scanner, laptop, and calipers.

GMM is not yet common in zooarchaeology, but is used more extensively in osteoarchaeology, the archaeological study of human bones. One issue facing the adoption of this technology is cost; another is complexity. In its current form, GMM requires a researcher to write their own code in a language like R or Python to do analysis, which only adds to the very long list of skills zooarchaeologists already need to possess. “We need a really good background knowledge of biology, anatomy, and physiology but also archaeological skills such as how to lay out a grid with a GPS, how to define soil color and type, and identify basic pottery styles and metals, plus we have to know about our historical contexts,” said Haruda.

But as the technology matures, it is becoming less expensive and more user friendly, and Haruda notes that in general the adoption of new technology is occurring rapidly in the field of zooarchaeology. GMM and digitization of data are also a great benefit in a field where bones must often be destructively sampled for DNA or other measurements.

Photogrammetry setup with a turntable at Haruda's current job.

Haruda also described a technique that she is learning called photogrammetry, which uses photographs (instead of scans) to generate measurements of an object. Photogrammetry has existed almost since the beginning of photography, but with modern processors and software, thousands of photographs can be integrated to generate high-detail 3D models of objects. This technique also moves complexity away from the measurement device and into the realm of postprocessing, giving it the potential to be more cost effective for archaeologists working in the field.

So now you know. Zooarchaeology: optics does that.

Guest Blogger: Christina C. C. Willis is an SPIE Board Member, laser scientist, and writer living in Washington, DC. Find out more about her on LinkedIn.

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Optics Does That is looking for more stories! Do you, or does someone you know, have an interesting or unusual application of optics that you use at work or elsewhere? Then please send us an email and tell us about it! emilyp@spie.org.

Or search #FacesofPhotonics on your favorite social network!

Optical fiber networks, the inner workings of smartphones, light painting, and Laser Pink Floyd: there are myriad ways in which light impacts our lives, and on 16 May, UNESCO’s second International Day of Light (IDL) will celebrate them all. This year’s flagship event in Trieste will showcase just some of the areas – science, sustainable development, health, art, and communications – in which light creates and enables critical benefits.

The overall program, Illuminating Education, will include a presentation by University of Auckland’s Cather Simpson (“Using Physics to Feed the Planet”); the National Optical Astronomy Observatory’s Stephen Pompea showcasing the fruits of public engagement within his field; and Imperial College London’s Jess Wade describing her next-generation, OLED research as well as her efforts to address gender imbalance in science.

“The International Day of Light is an awesome opportunity to celebrate the science of light and scientists who work with optics and photonics,” notes Wade, who is delighted to be participating in the one-day program. “Whether it is in solar panels, materials characterization or medical diagnostics, light has transformed the way we live today. As physicists, it’s easy to assume everyone is as excited as we are about light, but there is much more we could be doing to improve enthusiasm and access to science education and research.”

As a member of the IDL steering committee, SPIE will play an integral part during the Trieste event: longtime SPIE Member and member of its Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion committee Perla Marlene Viera-Gonzàlez will be sharing her science outreach experiences alongside members of other international scientific societies.

That same day, SPIE launches its annual IDL photo competition, and, around the world, communities will be sharing the benefits of light and celebrating light with the support of an SPIE IDL Micro Grant. From the US to Ukraine, here’s just a sample of the many ways in which light will be heralded, shared, and celebrated across the globe:

• Flowers and Photonics: The SPIE Student Chapter at the University of Rochester will be participating in the town’s historic Lilac Festival. Their “Light & Lilacs” event will engage community members with fun and entertaining optics demonstrations. 
• Light in our Life: In Uncasville, Connecticut, the St. Bernard School will be running their second annual IDL photo contest, running an educational and invitational campaign throughout Spring on optics and photonics, via posters, light-based applications presentations in classes, and a workshop during the Math Honor Society’s monthly meeting. 
• Talking Through Light: The Photonics Society of Ghent, Belgium, is holding a city-center, open-to-the-public event that explains how light can be modulated to enable the transfer of information.
• Pop-up Museum of Light: In Tucuman, Argentina, the Instituto de Luz Ambiente y Visión is hosting host an array of events from 11-31 May to highlight the fundamental role light plays in daily life. 
• IDeasforLife: The National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Radiophysics and Electronics in Kharkiv, Ukraine, is creating an exciting mix of activities, from scientific lectures and tours of the Institute’s optical laboratory, to optics-focused quests for secondary and high-school students, and optics games for children.

From the fun and creative, to the educational, informational, and innovative, SPIE is proud to support our constituents’ and community’s efforts to share the wonders of light, and to lead as active role models of outreach in their schools, institutes, and public spheres.

During its annual observance, UNESCO’s International Day of Light offers the perfect platform from which to celebrate light in all its various glories, but, ultimately, there’s no need to restrict it to May 16. Whether you’re flicking a switch to turn on an electrical light, basking happily under the sun, or wielding optical tweezers during a laser-led biomedical procedure, take a moment to blink, think, and let in the light.

As we have heard from countless members of the optics and photonics community, raising awareness of optics among the public and sparking interest in students at a young age are crucial to the future of light-based technology.

Each year, SPIE provides International Day of Light (IDL) Micro Grants to SPIE Members who want to celebrate the importance of light and share that knowledge with their community. These activities must take place during the month of May, tying directly to the cross-global festivities held on the 16th of that month. You can learn more about our Micro Grant program here.

With less than two weeks until the 2019 IDL, we are revisiting some of the 2018 IDL SPIE Micro Grant winners from around the world, showcasing their celebrations of light and its impact. The University of Southampton in England and Stellenbosch University in South Africa both took the approach of "good things come in threes!" for their Micro Grant activities. Read on to see what they accomplished.

University of Southampton

BRIGHT MINDS: A display showcasing the artwork created by primary school students in the IDL art competition

The first event, an art competition, was run by outreach officers of the OPSoc group ahead of IDL's May 16th official date. They began the competition with an interactive class at a local secondary school where light phenomena was explained, and the students were asked to create a piece of art to illustrate the concepts they learned. These pieces were then judged based on scientific understanding and creativity, and then the winners were featured in a video, seen here. 

FULL STEAM AHEAD: Top winners of the art competition

The second event took place on the International Day of Light itself. OPSoc officers went into a local school and taught students how to perform their own outreach in the community. During the day, students learned how to conduct three interactive workshops, "Mobile Ghosts", "Hour in the Life of a Light Scientist", and "Guess the Gas." The day concluded -- as any exciting photonics-focused outreach should -- with an award-winning laser light show!

MY LITTLE 3-D PROJECTOR: Demonstration of the Mobile Ghosts activity using a tablet, a sheet of acetate, and a pyramidal 3-D projector

For the last IDL event, OPSoc leaders gathered with the public on May 17th to discuss applications of light-based science and technology in the arts, education, industry, and research, organizing a panel, poster session, and buffet-style networking reception.

If you want to read more about the incredible series of events that the University of Southampton students pulled off, you can read their open-access Micro Grant report in the SPIE Digital Library.

SPECTATOR'S SPORT: A student using a spectrometer in the Guess the Gas workshop.

Stellenbosch University 

PLASMA, PLEASE!: The plasma ball demonstration was a real crowd pleaser!

HARNESSING TALENT: Professor Andrew Forbes discussing quantum light

REACHING NEW HEIGHTS: Ebongue smiles as she overcomes  her fear of heights at the top of the Umeda Sky Building in Osaka, Japan

Bonjour! Meet Christiane Ebongue, graduate student at Delaware State University (DSU). Christiane is working on a master's degree in applied optics with a goal of achieving a PhD in Physics. When she is not spending time in the lab — something she says she loves so much, she would even want to be there on her birthday! — she enjoys her role as president of her university's SPIE Student Chapter.

Ebongue moved to the United States from Cameroon for college, although she only spoke French at the time. Learning to speak a new language while learning a new field of science was intimidating, she says, but this feat just speaks to how tenacious of a person Ebongue is.

Another example of this steadfast dedication and passion lies in her photonics advocacy work. After defending her thesis in the morning, Ebongue hopped in her car and drove from Delaware to Washington D.C., to participate in Congressional Visits Day, without missing a beat!

"It was awesome, I don't regret it at all," says Ebongue of her intentional and focused road-trip. "Until that day, I always thought it would be too troublesome and intimidating to try and meet with your representatives. Now, I feel strongly that it is our right to advocate for what we believe in, and it is their duty to listen. That is the most important lesson I learned from this experience, and I intend to participate every year!"

Enjoy the SPIE Faces of Photonics interview with Christiane!

SPEAK YOUR MIND: Ebongue and other National Photonics Initiative volunteers met with Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, representative of Texas' 18th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, during Congressional Visits Day 2019

1. How did you become interested in optics and photonics? Was there a particular person who inspired you?

During my senior year at the University of Maryland, College Park, I registered for an atomic physics course because I wanted to explore different realms of physics. I did not know at the time that it would be the beginning of a new and exciting adventure in the field of optics and photonics.

Professor Luis Orozco was the one teaching the course at the time. Throughout the semester, we discussed topics related to light-matter interaction, such as atom trapping and cooling, electro-induced transparency, and more. I was blown away. I never realized so much science existed just by studying the properties of light! Professor Orozco’s style of teaching is to make a student appreciate the physics rather than memorizing enough to be able to pass the exam. That helped me stay engaged in class.

By the end of the semester, my curiosity got the best of me. Even though I was very shy, I gathered up my courage and asked to do an internship in his lab — I needed to learn more. He gave me the internship, and asked me to build a 2D Magneto Optical Trap (MOT). Accomplishing this task required a lot of knowledge about optics, which I was lacking. So I decided to get my master’s degree in Applied Optics.

PARTY-CLE PHYSICS: Ebongue and friend Ike Faddis pose in balloon hats at an family-work event

2. Describe a memorable moment from an SPIE event or conference.

At the 2019 SPIE Photonics West Student Chapter Leadership Workshop, I sat with SPIE Student  Chapter Lead Meagan All and event speaker Christine Haas, and they seem so relaxed. It made me realize that the people in the audience are not aliens ready to attack -- they are human, just like me. It gave me the courage to raise my hand and give a speech. Today, that experience is allowing me the honor of representing one of the faces of SPIE.

CONFIDENCE IS KEY: Ebongue shares her story with the group at the SPIE Photonics West Student Chapter Leadership Workshop

GLOBAL COLLABORATION: Ebongue and other SPIE Students enjoy a round-table discussion during the workshop at Photonics West

3. Share the story of your favorite outreach or volunteer experience.

I truly enjoy working with kids. They are gold. When share with them the knowledge that I have and get to see their faces lighting up, it's priceless! One of the outreach activities I especially had fun organizing was the “4 Nerdy Workshops 4 Kids” at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) after-school program.

Once a week, over four weeks, we covered four different topics in the STEM field. The first week, we made ice cream with liquid nitrogen. The second week, we put together solar cars and talked about the principles of solar panels. Then we covered DNA and adaptation, and concluded the series with the behavior of light in matter. It’s my favorite outreach activity to date because of a powerful discussion I had with one of the outreach supervisors. She told me that they wish the kids could have more interaction with researchers at OIST! I really put my heart into bringing people together and organizing workshops like that, and the positive feedback made everything worth it.

A MATTER OF LIGHT: Ebongue wows the students at William Henry Middle School in Dover, Delaware, by demonstrating a 3D hologram-maker

4. Explain your current research/what you do at your job. How does your work impact society?


I am currently working under the supervision of Dr. Renu Tripathi at DSU, developing an all-solid-state pulsed laser system emitting light at sodium wavelength (589 nm). The sodium light is obtained via sum frequency generation of two Nd: YAG high-power pump lasers operating at wavelengths 1064 nm and 1319 nm, respectively.

This type of laser has recently been in demand for the laser guide-star applications. There are multiple techniques that have been used to develop the 589 nm laser, such as Dye laser, frequency doubling, Raman amplification, and so on. However, the all-solid-state YAG laser system is capable of producing large output power with a reasonably compact size. Our goal is to utilize this system to develop a sodium LiDAR instrument that will allow us to perform measurements at mesospheric altitudes.

The measurements include the determination of the sodium density, temperature, and radial velocity. As of now, a laser of this kind is not commercially available, even though the need for a compact, high-power sodium laser is rapidly growing.

A BANNER EVENT: Members of the SPIE Student Chapter at Delaware State University pose with visiting  lecturer Professor Luis Orozco, who spoke on “Correlation Functions in Optics and Quantum Optics”

5. Have you ever had to embrace failure? Describe a challenging situation, either personal or professional, and how you overcame it.

I came to the United States from Cameroon ten years ago. I came straight from high school with a French-education background and enrolled in college where everything was in English. I did not speak English that well, but my writing and reading were not too bad, which is why I was able to pass the test to enter community college. That transition was difficult, to say the least.

I first decided to major in Physical Sciences but scored a 'D' in my Calculus II class. It was eye-opening for me how much effort I needed to put into this new learning curve and the barriers that I would need to overcome to succeed. Learning new concepts in a foreign language was very challenging; I thought I was not going to make it. I cried every night. Then, I would wake up every morning at 3 AM to work on what I could not understand.

I could not understand the American accent, so I started watching and listening to music videos in English. I would also go to my teacher’s office during the day with lots of questions. After all this, my perseverance and determination paid off and my understanding of English slowly improved. I succeeded in my Calculus II class at the end of the semester! That made me realize I could make it through challenges with grit and hard work. I’m also blessed to have friends and family who constantly push me to achieve my potential.

ALL IN THE FAMILY: Ebongue and her family get ready to go canoeing on the Potomac River  in Washington D.C. to celebrate Mother's Day

6. When you look five years into the future, what do you hope to have accomplished?

Achieving a PhD-level education in Physics is my long-term goal. My dream is to revitalize and enhance science education to include more hands-on experiments at all grade levels. I especially want to work on enhancing the education in Cameroon. I was excited to learn that there is a SPIE presence in Cameroon! I saw that Paul Woafo of the University of Yaounde won the 2019 SPIE International Day of Light Micro Grant. I look forward to working with colleagues there some day.


7. What is your advice to others in the STEM community?

If you find something that sparks your passion, don’t turn your back. It will be challenging and sometimes you will feel like giving up, but there are always rewards when you do what you love – wouldn't you want to be in the lab, even on your birthday?!

INTERN-NATIONAL: Ebongue celebrates her birthday with colleagues and adviser Professor Helmut Ritsch during her 2016 summer internship at the University of Innsbruck in Austria

Or search #FacesofPhotonics on your favorite social network!

David Sampson is a Fellow Member of SPIE, on the Board of Directors, and Vice-Provost of Research and Innovation at the University of Surrey. He is also the next community member to answer our 'Why Light?' series. The series is leading up to the second annual International Day of Light this 16 May, and asks members of the SPIE community to explain why they feel light is so important.

David has nearly thirty years’ research experience in photonics, optics, and microscopy, and applications in communications and biomedicine. He is an authority in optical coherence tomography, with several main interests including the microscope-in-a-needle. As a Board Member he serves on several committees for SPIE, including the Strategic Planning Committee and the Conference Program Committee, and regularly contributes to SPIE's conferences and journals. He took time out of his very busy schedule to answer for us what light means to him and to the greater global community.

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David Sampson

What about light inspires you?

You can see it – reflected(!) in your daily life – this summer we were in St Andrews and it was raining and sunny – the full bow stretched from horizon to horizon. Full bow, inverted bow, second bow – absolutely brilliant.

And then you think that, beyond beauty, beyond atmospherics, it is so empowering in our lives. I grew up in the era of time-delayed long-distance calls via geostationary satellite, one that we still occasionally see on television. Fiber optics changed all that, and a lot more besides. Those thin hairs of glass carrying terabits/second – now that is amazing.

And then – optics is not new – from ancient Arabs such as Al Hazen to the renaissance of Galileo, to the laser of the 1950/60s, to today – it is constantly changing. There is so much that optics and photonics technology still has to give us... we are just not quite sure exactly what.

The double rainbow at St Andrews

How can light help overcome a current global challenge?

By measuring more things better. Sensors for our body’s health parameters are an emerging phenomenon still to mature. Sensors that will allow us to predict an old person will fall before they do so, or detect the onset of dementia before traditional symptoms appear, by exploiting the power of optics and AI/computing. But we could be measuring so much more with light – from disease pathogens, to hormone levels, to blood glucose – optical methods to tell me how stressed I am through my cortisol levels, if I have Vitamin D deficiency after a long winter, or how fit I am. These measures are, as yet, still patchy, full of artifacts, and inaccurate – but we are making progress and there is so much still to gain.

What do you do to share your passion for light?

Get inspired to continue to write grants, do research, and introduce the next-gen of postgraduate researchers to this brilliant field. And I try to give back to my community – mostly in conferences and publications. I do a lot of organizing – conferences such as the International Conference on Biophotonics, ICO Optics Within Life Sciences, the GRC Optics and Photonics in Medicine and Biology, ECI Advances in Optics for Biotechnology, Medicine and Surgery, Photonics West (of course!), IEEE Photonics Congress, and OSA’s Biomedical Optics Congress. You might notice I support all the societies and independent event – I believe we need to bring our professional community together and to show more grassroots leadership. And I try to champion excellence at all scales – and inclusion of all the shapes and sizes and colors and flavors of this marvelously rich 3rd Rock. And then there is publishing – but don’t get me started!

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The International Day of Light – IDL – takes place annually on 16 May. IDL is a global initiative that provides a focal point for the continued appreciation of light. This day recognizes light and the vital role it plays in science, culture and art, education, and sustainable development.

On 16 May, join SPIE and communities worldwide by participating in activities that illustrate how the science and art of light improves all our lives. For more information and to plan your own event, visit spie.org/IDL.

WORKING TOWARD A CURE: PhD student Christopher Pacia  smiles for the camera

Why haven't we found a cure for cancer yet? This is the question that motivates Christopher Pacia when he's doing research in the Chen Ultrasound Lab at Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL). Pacia is a PhD student in biomedical engineering, and his research focuses on ultrasound imaging and therapy that can impact cancer patient care. "With a greater understanding of the brain, treatments can be more patient-specific," says Pacia. "In that way, they will also be more effective in improving the lives of those affected by the seemingly boundless complexity of neurological disorders."

Pacia is the current Vice President of the SPIE Student Chapter at his university, under the supervision of 2019 SPIE Britton Chance Award winner, Dr. Samuel Achilefu. The chapter is involved in a variety of local outreach activities which, according to Pacia, is one of the most rewarding parts of being a researcher.

Enjoy SPIE's Faces of Photonics interview with Chris!


1. Share the story of your favorite outreach experience.

One of my favorite outreach experiences was my trip to the local St. Louis Science Center during its annual SciFest event. SciFest is free and open to the public, and it's where scientists, engineers, and doctors come together to show all the amazing things happening around St. Louis. Hundreds of attendees have the chance to walk around and learn about motion-capture technology in movies, how memories are formed in the brain, and how optics acts as a window into our bodies.

Our SPIE Student Chapter went to SciFest to put on an exhibit, showing children and adults the science behind ultrasound imaging. Our booth had hands-on demonstrations to showcase the fundamentals of sound, and the ways in which ultrasound can be used for imaging. We even let the brave, young scientists try to image their own arm! The kids loved playing with sound and trying to see what they look like on the inside. Even adults were amazed when we explained how fetal ultrasound images were formed. The amount of shock and awe that comes from building an understanding in science has been one of the most rewarding parts of being a researcher.

SHOCK AND AWE: Pacia shows how ultrasound imaging works at SciFest

2. Explain your current research and what you do at your job. How does your work impact society? 

A question people are always asking is: Why haven't we found a cure for cancer yet? But, of course cancer research isn't as straightforward and simple as we would hope, especially in the case of brain cancer. The main challenge when treating brain cancer is the presence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The BBB has the important task of regulating the diffusion of molecules between the brain and blood vessels. While this is beneficial in protecting neural tissue from foreign pathogens, the BBB also prevents life-saving drugs from being delivered to the brain.

In the Chen Ultrasound Lab at WUSTL, we are working with focused ultrasound (FUS) to non-invasively disrupt the BBB and enhance drug delivery to the target area. The integration of FUS with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allows for more precise targeting, so by developing an integrated FUS system, clinicians will be able to use their MRI scanners to non-invasively enhance cancer-drug delivery. This will take us one step closer to developing a cure for cancer.

STEM SEPTET: The team at Chen Ultrasound Lab

3. When you look five years into the future, what do you hope to have accomplished? 

In five years, I hope to have completed my PhD research and be involved with further developing diagnostic and therapeutic tools for the clinic. The necessity for this technology is clear, and with my training I plan on making great strides to improve patient care. My goal is to have developed a system that can help answer at least one question about the brain. Whether it has to do with remapping after disease, the effects from aging, or the enhancement of cognitive processes from neuromodulation, I will want to have my hand in a revolutionary tool that will shape the future of science.

On a more personal level, I'd like to influence the future generations of scientists. The next generation of researchers will have a greater amount of resources, technology, and mentors at their disposal to address any unanswered questions. I will continue to reach out in my community to share what I have learned, and, hopefully, inspire students to pursue a STEM career and push the envelope of science. If I persuade just one student, the five years will have been worth it.

LEAD BY EXAMPLE: Pacia participates in a round-table discussion at the 2019 Photonics West  Student Chapter Leadership Workshop

4. What is your advice to others in the STEM community?

Building a diverse community and sharing knowledge with each other will push STEM further into the future. There have been great strides in the scientific community in terms of reaching out and encouraging underrepresented minorities to pursue STEM careers. There has been a lot of progress, but it cannot stop there.

There are a number of ways to help. To name a few: going out into local schools and showing students that science is fun is the catalyst to helping students recognize their potential; providing students with the resources to run hands-on experiments will prepare them for a future career in STEM; putting on demonstrations at the science center will help students appreciate how science is used in our everyday lives.








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CEO POWER: Dr. Misty Blowers

From the US Air Force Research Lab to Vice President of Cybersecurity at ICF to CEO of her own defense consulting company, SPIE Member Dr. Misty Blowers continues to make waves in the defense security world. She has always been unwavering in her dedication to this community, citing her drive toward positive change: "I hope to make a technical contribution that can make the world a better place."

Many would say she's already accomplished this. In 2018, Dr. Blowers was awarded the SPIE Early Career Achievement Award for her dedication to advancing applied machine-learning solutions to help solve real-world problems. Her commitment to the field also shines through in her multiple years serving on SPIE conference committees at SPIE Defense + Commercial Sensing (DCS), and her 2016 publication of Evolution of Cyber Operations and Technologies to 2035 (Springer) which she discusses in the interview below.

Enjoy the interview!