ECE researchers receive prestigious SPIE scholarships

Two ECE ILLINOIS researchers were recently awarded prestigious SPIE scholarships.

Dennis Rich was awarded the BACUS Scholarship which is given to a full-time undergraduate or graduate student in the field of microlithography with emphasis on optical tooling and/or semiconductor manufacturing technologies. This scholarship is sponsored by BACUS, the International Technical Group of SPIE which is dedicated to the advancement of photomask technology.

"I'm glad the SPIE selection committee agrees with me that my undergraduate research with Prof. Can Bayram shows promise in the field of optics and photonics. With his expert guidance, and that of my labmates and Prof. Peter Dragic, I think I've been able to develop many of the skills I'll need when I begin to pursue my PhD in Electrical Engineering at Stanford in just a couple months," said Rich.

ECE ILLINOIS PhD student Dicky Liu was awarded an Optics and Photonics Education Scholarship. SPIE fellowships are available to students located anywhere in the world, in high school (pre-university/secondary), undergraduate and graduate programs, who are studying in a related field of optics and photonics.  

“The SPIE Optics and Photonics Education Scholarship is a very prestigious world-wide recognition. I am very honored that one of the largest scientific and engineering society acknowledges the importance of my research and the progress I have made towards a brighter device and future," said Liu. "The scholarship provides assistance for increasing the publicity of my research. It will aid in the dissemination of my research on improving the efficiency, brightness, and affordability of white LEDs through the use of cubic phase gallium nitride. It will cover the cost of open access publication and funding travel to SPIE Photonics West 2020."