President's Message 2024
Gerd Leuchs, Director Emeritus at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light in Erlangen and Senior Professor at the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, has been elected President for 2024 by the members of Optica, the world's leading society for optics and photonics. Leuchs has already been in the presidential chain since 2022 and succeeds Michal Lipson.
Founded in 1916, the Optica Scientific Society (formerly OSA, Optical Society of America) is dedicated to promoting the generation, application, documentation and dissemination of knowledge in optics and photonics worldwide. Today, the society is the leading organization for scientists, engineers, business people, students and others interested in the science of light. Optica's renowned publications, conferences, online resources and other activities foster discovery, shape real-world applications, and accelerate scientific, technical and educational achievements.
The monthly messages of the President of Optica 2024 can be found in the following section as well as on the external web site of Optics & Photonics News.
January
Hopes for 2024
"As an international society, Optica has the task, and the obligation, to serve members who need such help to the maximum extent it can. What we can do is limited, but we must do our best."
February
Connecting Sectors
"In academia and industry alike, one common thread is that to make something work in the lab, you have to be innovative."
March
How Do We Assess Research?
"For companies, [...] an assessment is relatively easy—you can look at the profit-and-loss column. In academic research, measures of success are more complex; ..."
April
The Dream of Fusion Energy
"Interestingly, the recent progress in laser fusion has triggered dozens of startup companies worldwide [...]. I find this remarkable, because for laser fusion, as with magnetic-confinement fusion, the path ahead is still a long one."
May
Looking Ahead—and Back
"I commend Optica for maintaining its archive of Optics & Photonics News!"
June
The power of tools
"Taken together, the talks by Phillips and Wolfram offered a “short course” in how a vision focused on expanding the tools for science — whether in the realm of theory or in the lab — can also broaden the universe of possibilities in unprecedented ways."
July/August
Societal climate change
"As a citizen I am, of course, concerned. As a scientist, I hope that the culture of science could be an example for the rest of society."
September
Challenges for Science in Times of Tension
"Science, after all, benefits immensely from cross-border exchange, as such inclusivity helps scientists and engineers work together to find the best solutions to the world’s problems."
October
Leadership Changes at Optica
"Optica has dedicated itself to promoting the generation, application, archiving and dissemination of knowledge in optics and photonics for more than a century. We intend to continue to do so."
