Honoree recognized for outstanding leadership and vision in optics and photonics
WASHINGTON-The Optical Society (OSA) is pleased to name Roberta Ramponi, IFN-CNR and Politecnico di Milano, Italy, as the 2020 Robert E. Hopkins Leadership Award recipient. Ramponi is honored for leadership in the promotion and dissemination of optics and light-based technologies, and outstanding contributions in establishing a strategic vision for research and innovation in photonics in Europe.
"Roberta Ramponi has significantly enriched European research and innovation in the photonics field," said 2020 OSA President Stephen D. Fantone, founder and president of Optikos Corporation. "Her efforts exemplify the type of leadership and intellectual prowess emblematic of the Hopkins Leadership Award."
Ramponi received her M.Sc. in Physics and Specialization Diploma in Medical Physics at the University of Milano, Italy. In 1980, she joined the National Research Council (CNR) in Milano, Italy as a researcher. In 1992, she became Professor of Physics at the Politecnico di Milano, and from 2013, she has served as the Director of the CNR Institute for Photonics and Nanotechnology.
Ramponi's research has covered a wide range of activities in the fields of optics, photonics and related applications. During her early career, she made significant contributions to the development of laser-based instrumentation for biomedicine, mainly for diagnostic applications; later on, her research activities focused on nonlinear optics, integrated optics, and more recently on femtosecond-laser micromachining, micro-optofluidics and integrated quantum optics.
Throughout her career she has served the optics and photonics community, bringing strategic vision and leadership to national and international societies and organizations. She served as the President of the European Optical Society from 2006 and 2008 and is currently President of the International Commission for Optics. She also serves on the Executive Board of the European Public Private Partnership Photonics21. Ramponi has worked to support gender balance, bridge the gap between the scientific community, policy makers and the general public, and develop successful initiatives in education, training and outreach.
Established in 1997 to help strengthen the link between the optics community and the public, the Hopkins Award recognizes an individual or group who has had a significant impact on the global optics and photonics community or on society as a whole stemming from non-research oriented activities. The award was named in honor of Robert E. Hopkins in 2012. It was endowed by Milton Chang and New Focus.
