FoTO GRADUATE STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS
Roger Angel Graduate Student Scholarship in Optical Sciences
University of Arizona Regents ’ Professor Roger Angel began his research in atomic physics , turning to X-ray astronomy , then optical astronomy and telescope design . In 1985 he founded the Steward Observatory Mirror Lab to pursue the advantages of honeycomb glass technology and develop the stressed lap method for polishing aspheres . The Lab ’ s mirrors are used in telescopes worldwide .
Angel pioneered the use of optical fibers for multi-object spectroscopy , now widespread , and of deformable secondary mirrors for astronomical adaptive optics . With colleague Nick Woolf , he also developed concepts to search for spectroscopic evidence of life on exoplanets . Shifting his attention to mitigating climate change , Angel explored optical solutions to cool the Earth with a space sunshade . In 2009 he founded the company REhnu to use optics to improve the efficiency of photovoltaic generation of solar electricity .
Angel has been honored with the Kavli Prize in Astrophysics , a MacArthur fellowship , and election to the Royal Society and the National Academy of Sciences .
This scholarship was made possible by the generosity of the Frederick Gardner Cottrell Foundation and the Angel family .
Zichan is a first-year Ph . D . student whose interest in optics began in astronomy . Zichan is currently working on a project with Professor Tom Milster to design innovative optical systems with refractive , multiple-order diffractive and metasurface optics , as well as methods of optimization using neural networks .
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