A terahertz quantum cascade device, laser materials based on laser-active transition metal and rare-earth ions, and a concept for plasmonic cloaking are among the winners of The Optical Society’s (OSA) 2013 awards. “This year’s [17] awardees have made tremendous strides in furthering the science and technology of light and deserve every accolade,” said OSA President Donna Strickland. “OSA is proud to honor these committed individuals for their leadership and innovation in the field of optics around the world.” Although the criterion for each of the 2013 awards differs, the selection process is the same. The OSA board appoints a committee to oversee each award or medal selection process; the committee is responsible for the evaluation of each nominee and the selection of the individual or group most deserving of the award. The committee’s selection is presented to the OSA board and awards committee for their review and final approval. The winners are as follows: Alain Aspect of Institut d’Optique, École Polytechnique, and the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), both in France, has received the Frederic Ives Medal/Jarus Quinn Prize, the highest award conferred by OSA for overall distinction in optics. The award is for pioneering research on photons and atoms, shedding light on quantum phenomena and prompting the development of the new field of quantum information. Vasudevan Lakshminarayanan of the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, has received the Esther Hoffman Beller Medal for his contributions to optics education in international and interdisciplinary settings. The medal recognizes outstanding contributions to optical science and engineering education. The Max Born Award, recognizing contributions to physical optics, has been awarded to Yaron Silberberg of Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel for his contributions in nonlinear and quantum optics; among them, the first observation of optical discrete solitons, the prediction of spatiotemporal solitons and light bullets, pioneering experiments with temporal shaping of entangled photons and quantum control, and groundbreaking work in nonlinear microscopy. The Michael S. Feld Biophotonics Award was awarded to Brian C. Wilson of the University of Toronto for sustained contributions to the field of biophotonics spanning more than 30 years and encompassing outstanding research, technology development, clinical translation and training and education, in the areas of light dosimetry; photodynamic therapy fluorescence; and Raman endoscopy, microscopy and nanophotonics. The award, established in 2012, recognizes individuals for their innovative and influential contributions to the field of biophotonics, regardless of their career stage. Wade Thomas Cathey Jr. of the University of Colorado at Boulder is this year’s Joseph Fraunhofer Award/Robert M. Burley Prize recipient. The award, which recognizes significant research accomplishments in the field of optical engineering, is for Cathey’s seminal contributions to the field of computational optical imaging and its commercial application. Alessandro Tredicucci of NEST, Istituto Nanoscienze-CNR, in Pisa, Italy, is the recipient of the Nick Holonyak Jr. Award, given for contributions to optics based on semiconductor-based devices and optical materials, including basic science and technological applications. Tredicucci is being recognized for demonstrating a terahertz quantum cascade device, the first compact injection laser in the far-infrared. The Robert E. Hopkins Leadership Award has been given to Mustafa A.G. Abushagur of the Libyan Policy Institute in Tripoli, Libya. The leadership award recognizes an individual (or group) who has made a significant impact on the field of optics and/or a significant contribution to society. Abushagur is being recognized for leadership in education and entrepreneurship, which led to the establishment of important programs, institutions and companies devoted to developing optics in the US, the Middle East and North Africa. Pablo Artal of the University of Murcia in Spain has received the Edwin H. Land Medal for his scientific contributions to the advancement of diagnostic and correction alternatives in visual optics. The award recognizes pioneering work empowered by scientific research to create inventions, technologies and products and is co-sponsored with the Society for Imaging Science and Technology. James R. Fienup of the University of Rochester in New York is the recipient of the Emmett N. Leith Medal for the integration of optics and digital systems as demonstrated in pioneering contributions to phase retrieval, image restoration, wavefront sensing and computational imaging. The medal is given for seminal contributions to the field of optical information processing. Sunny X. Xie has received the Ellis R. Lippincott Award, co-sponsored with the Coblentz Society and the Society for Applied Spectroscopy, for contributions to vibrational spectroscopy. Xie, of Harvard University, is recognized for his pioneering contributions to the development of nonlinear vibrational imaging, including coherent anti-Stokes Raman and stimulated Raman scattering microscopy, and its applications to chemistry, biology and medicine. Andrea Alù of the University of Texas at Austin has received the Adolph Lomb Medal for outstanding contributions to the fields of optical metamaterials and plasmonic optics, and for development of the concept of plasmonic cloaking. The award recognizes noteworthy contributions made to optics before reaching the age of 35. The C.E.K. Mees Medal, presented biennially to a recipient who exemplifies the thought that “optics transcends all boundaries,” was given to Bahaa E.A. Saleh of the University of Central Florida. Saleh is being recognized for lifelong multidisciplinary contributions to statistical optics, quantum optics and image science. Louis F. DiMauro of The Ohio State University in Columbus is the 2013 William F. Meggers Award winner for contributions to precision measurements of nonsequential double ionization, exploration of strong field interaction scaling properties from mid-infrared to x-ray, and innovative experiments of time-resolved molecular imaging. The award recognizes outstanding work in spectroscopy. The Charles H. Townes Award, given for contributions to quantum electronics, was presented to Günter Huber of Hamburg University in Germany. Huber is being recognized for seminal contributions to solid-state lasers, in particular the growth, development and fundamental characterization of new laser materials based on laser-active transition metal and rare-earth ions. James Coleman is the 2013 recipient of the John Tyndall Award, which recognizes contributions to fiber optic technology and is co-sponsored with the IEEE Photonics Society. Coleman, of the University of Illinois, received the award for contributions to semiconductor lasers and photonic materials, processing and device designs, including high-reliability strained-layer lasers. H. Jeff Kimble of California Institute of Technology in Pasadena has received the Herber Walther Award, co-sponsored with the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft, for his pioneering experimental contributions to quantum optics, cavity quantum electrodynamics and quantum information science. The award recognizes distinguished contributions in quantum optics and atomic physics, as well as leadership in the international scientific community. The 2013 R.W. Wood Prize, given for an outstanding discovery, scientific or technical achievement or invention, was presented to Milton Feng of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The award is for his contributions to the invention and realization of the transistor laser, delivering simultaneously both an electrical signal and a coherent laser output and providing the basis for a revolutionary higher-speed electronic-photonic integrated circuit. For more information, visit: www.osa.org