Zapata Valencia Awarded 2021 Teddi C. Laurin Scholarship

Samuel Ignacio Zapata-Valencia has been awarded the 2021 Teddi C. Laurin Scholarship for his contributions to the field of optics and photonics. Zapata-Valencia, a master’s student at Universidad Nacional de Colombia Sede Medellin, is advised by Jorge Garcia-Sucerquia. His research interests include digital holographic microscopy techniques and the development of low-cost optical devices.

Zapata-Valencia serves in numerous leadership capacities: He has been president of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia Sede Medellin chapter of SPIE. He currently holds the charge of vice president, leading activities of outreach, professional development, and diversity and inclusion. The Engineering Physics program graduate (from Universidad Nacional de Colombia Sede Medellin) and finalist of the Edmund Optics Educational Award 2020 (America) was additionally a co-author on a recent paper published in Applied Optics titled “Open-source cost-effective, portable, 3D-printed digital lensless holographic microscope” (www.doi.org/10.1364/AO.405605).

Samuel Zapata-Valencia, winner of the 2021 Teddi C. Laurin Scholarship, is a master’s student at Universidad Nacional de Colombia Sede Medellin. Courtesy of SPIE.

In a letter of recommendation for the 2021 Teddi C. Laurin Scholarship, Garcia-Sucerquia expanded on his leadership of Zapata-Valencia’s honors project. “In this project, he worked in the development of an alternative dark-field holographic microscope, which is still under refinement,” Garcia-Sucerquia said. The experience, he added, led to Zapata-Valencia’s appointment to three additional research projects in Garcia-Sucerquia’s research group.

“Photonics Media is proud to recognize Samuel Zapata-Valencia as this year’s Teddi C. Laurin Scholarship winner,” said Tom Laurin, president of Photonics Media. “This scholarship recognizes those whose work and initiative are poised to expand the field of photonics, a cause that my mother and our founder, Teddi Laurin, had the foresight to undertake more than 60 years ago. We wish Samuel continued success as he pursues research initiatives in digital holographic microscopy and the development of low-cost optical devices. We hope this award serves as a springboard to a fantastic career.”

Photonics Media partners with SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, to fund the Teddi C. Laurin Scholarship to raise awareness of optics and photonics and to foster growth and success in the photonics industry by supporting students involved in photonics. The scholarship is in memory of Laurin Publishing and Photonics Media founder Teddi C. Laurin.