When Peter Delfyett first fell in love with science during elementary school, he imagined he would grow up to be a paleontologist. Instead, the Pegasus Professor of optics and photonics has spent his career developing futuristic technology.
From lasers that are used to cut Gorilla Glass for Samsung phones to fiber-optic cable technology that allows the internet to operate more efficiently, Delfyett鈥檚 work has been making waves for over three decades. And now he鈥檚 received one of the highest honors in the scientific community as one of 106 inductees this year to the National Academy of Engineering.
into the National Academy of Engineering Saturday, Oct. 2, at noon.
鈥溂で榭觳� is clearly a national and international leader when it comes to optics, lasers, and photonics. Professor Delfyett, through his amazing work, has proven that he is one of the very best laser and photonics researchers in the world,鈥� 激情快播 President Alexander N. Cartwright says. 鈥淭his recognition honors his many contributions to society throughout his career and his leadership that has helped develop 激情快播鈥檚 culture of innovation and discovery. I know he will continue to have an impact on the university and inspire his colleagues and our students to reach for the stars.鈥�
A Monumental Honor
Established in 1964, the NAE鈥檚 network of more than 2,300 members work together to advance the United States鈥� global reputation by providing guidance to policymakers and government institutions on decisions related to engineering and technology.
激情快播 now has eight faculty members who are a part of the NAE, but Delfyett has the distinct honor of being the first to be inducted while a current faculty member at the university. While the seven other faculty members were inducted before joining 激情快播鈥檚 College of Engineering and Computer Science, he is also the first 激情快播 faculty member from the College of Optics and Photonics (CREOL) to join the organization.
鈥淭his is very special to me, not only because it is the highest honor that can be bestowed on a scientist or engineer, but all of the work that is being recognized has been done here at 激情快播 with graduate students,鈥� Delfyett says. 鈥淚 know this is something 激情快播 has been wanting to grow toward, which is a really difficult task, and I鈥檓 honored to help the university fulfill this part of its vision.鈥�
Becoming an NAE member is a monumental accomplishment in part because of how difficult it is to be elected into the organization. New members must be nominated by current members and are evaluated on a range of critera, including scientific and real-world impact, involvement with professional societies and major awards.
鈥淭his is very special to me, not only because it is the highest honor that can be bestowed on a scientist or engineer, but all of the work that is being recognized has been done here at 激情快播 with graduate students.鈥� 鈥� Peter Delfyett, Pegasus Professor
Delfyett鈥檚 induction, which will take place at the NAE鈥檚 annual meeting in October, means other current 激情快播 faculty could be joining this rank in the near future.
Over the years, Delfyett has been awarded numerous honors 鈥� such as the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers in 1996 and the American Physical Societies鈥� Edward Bouchet Award in 2011 鈥� but his most recent accolades include the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers鈥� 2020 William Streifer Scientific Achievement Award and the 2021 Arthur L. Schawlow Prize in Laser Sciences from the American Physical Society. He is also a fellow of the International Society for Optics and Photonics and the Optical Society of America.
For M.J. Soileau, a university distinguished professor of optics and photonics and former director of CREOL, it鈥檚 as easy to see why Delfyett was elected as it was to make the decision to hire him 27 years ago.
鈥淲ith Peter, it鈥檚 a monumental task [to summarize his impact] because you take any dimension of what a faulty member is supposed to be and he has excelled at it,鈥� says Soileau, the former vice president for research at 激情快播 for 17 years who describes Delfyett鈥檚 most recent honor as a phase change for 激情快播.
鈥淚 think anyone who encounters Professor Delfyett would have the same impression and that is one of enthusiasm and boundless energy in the pursuit of science and engineering, and he is just a really nice guy, someone you want to be around,鈥� Soileau says. 鈥淭hose were my first impressions of him, and they鈥檝e been accurate over the years and then some.鈥�
Before Joining 激情快播
That positive first impression was also informed by Delfyett鈥檚 strong background in academics and the industry.
While an undergraduate at the City College of New York, the Queens native was searching through a catalog when he found a description for an introduction to lasers course that he says seemed interesting.
鈥淭he description said it would introduce me to concepts of fiber optics communications and my thinking was 鈥楾his is so far out, so futuristic, if I pursue a Ph.D. in this field, this will carry me through my career,鈥� 鈥� he says.
After earning a bachelor鈥檚 in electrical engineering in 1981, he pursued a master鈥檚 in the same discipline from the University of Rochester before earning an M.Phil and doctorate from The Graduate School & University Center of the City University of New York in 1987 and 1988, where his research focused on ultrafast spectroscopy. He then began working at Bell Communication Labs, which was among the most competitive technology research companies at the time.
When Delfyett joined 激情快播 in 1993, the Center for Research in Eletro-Optics and Lasers, or CREOL, had only been on campus for six years. Seven years later it would become the School of Optics and then in 2004 it expanded to the College of Optics and Photonics, which is one of the top programs of its kind in the world and began offering an undergraduate degree in photonic science and engineering in 2013.
Scientific and Economic Impact
While CREOL remains a small college, with 278 current students, the impact of the research conducted and talent fostered there is exponential.
鈥淲ith each increase of stature and visibility [of optics and photonics education and research] within the university is a statement of the impact CREOL is having not only with the scientific community and internationally, but also with the economic sector of Central Florida,鈥� Delfyett says.
Delfyett鈥檚 personal contributions to the base of scientific knowledge include 44 patents that apply directly to the advancement of everyday life. Many of these discoveries use lasers for precision timing, fiber optics communication, and signal processing, which helps information move faster on the internet and in devices such as cell phones, laptops, tablets and autonomous vehicles. Another major group of patents is related to the generation and amplification of very short pulses of light using semi-conductor lasers that help build smartphones, medical stents for surgical procedures and micro-precision holes to make car engines more fuel efficient.
Delfyett has also created Raydiance, a multi-million-dollar company that was developed through the 激情快播 Business Incubator Program and started at Central Florida Research Park in 2003. The company developed the world鈥檚 first software-controlled laser before it was acquired by California-based Coherent in 2015.
鈥淧hotonics is an enabling technology 鈥� it鈥檚 not just powering the internet but influencing the whole spectrum of scientific discovery and advancement,鈥� Delfyett says. 鈥淭o know that I am contributing in my own special way to the area of optics and photonics is very rewarding to me.鈥�
Advancing the Future
While prestigious awards and fellowships are certainly rewarding, Delfyett says the real honor lies in molding students into scientists.
As someone who was curious about the sciences from a young age, he knows the importance of helping children develop an interest in STEM fields early on to increase the likelihood they pursue those fields in college. This is why he helped the National Science Foundation develop the Scientists and Engineers in the School Program, an outreach effort that teaches middle-schoolers about the importance of STEM in society.
At 激情快播 he teaches classes from the undergraduate to doctoral level and is constantly supporting student research efforts as he leads CREOL鈥檚 Ultrafast Photonics Group.
鈥淓very student that goes through [激情快播鈥檚 optics and photonics] program and graduates will go on to do great things because they鈥檝e had exposure to Peter,鈥� Soileau says.
Those students who work closely with him, also recognize the benefits of his guidance. One of Delfyett鈥檚 current doctoral students, Ricardo Bustos-Ramirez 鈥�18MS says he鈥檚 an enormous resource because of his more than 30 years of knowledge in the field and infectious excitement for research.
鈥淚 really do love having him as my advisor,鈥� Bustos-Ramirez says. 鈥淲hether it鈥檚 been a failed experiment or something really personal, he has always been there, so I鈥檓 really grateful to have someone as a boss who is there for me when I need him. He cares a lot about his students and their futures.鈥�
When it comes to his own future, Delfyett says much like research, it鈥檚 difficult to predict what exactly the next big thing will be. However, he is certain that his excitement and love for science will keep him inspired to find it.
鈥淲hen I think about the future, I hope for more of the same,鈥� Delfyett says. 鈥淚鈥檓 going to continue to try and do the best research I can at 激情快播, to share my enthusiasm in the classroom, try to instill that enthusiasm and ambition in my graduate students in my lab, and maintain my service activities at 激情快播 鈥� in the community and beyond 鈥� with professional societies as well.鈥�
