{"id":21096,"date":"2021-02-25T17:59:37","date_gmt":"2021-02-25T17:59:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/?p=21096&post_type=story"},"modified":"2023-10-07T18:29:28","modified_gmt":"2023-10-07T18:29:28","slug":"lighting-the-way","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/lighting-the-way\/","title":{"rendered":"Lighting the Way"},"content":{"rendered":"

Updated Fall 2023<\/em> | Spring 2021<\/em> |\u00a0By Nicole Dudenhoefer \u201917<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

[lead]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<\/a> has spent his career developing futuristic technology.[\/lead]<\/p>\n

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\u2019s work<\/a> has been making waves for more than three decades. And now he\u2019s received one of the highest honors in the scientific community as one of 106 engineers elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) this year.<\/p>\n

\u201cProfessor Delfyett, through his amazing work, has proven that he is one of the very best laser and photonics researchers in the world,\u201d UCF President Alexander N. Cartwright says. \u201cThis recognition honors his many contributions to society throughout his career and his leadership that has helped develop UCF\u2019s culture of innovation and discovery.\u201d<\/p>\n

[photo id=”21276″ title=”PeterDelfyett-PEG-SPR21-Web-300×15-divider” alt=”” width=”300x” align=”center”][\/photo]<\/div>\n

The\u00a0Scientific Spectrum<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Established in 1964, the NAE\u2019s network of more than 2,300 members work together to advance the United States\u2019 global reputation by providing guidance to policymakers and government institutions on decisions related to engineering and technology.<\/p>\n

UCF has eight faculty members who are a part of the NAE, but Delfyett has the honor of being the first to be elected while a current faculty member at the university. Delfyett\u2019s induction, which will take place during NAE\u2019s annual meeting in October, means other current UCF faculty could be joining this rank in the near future.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is very special to me, not only because it is the highest honor that can be bestowed on a scientist or engineer, but because all of the work that is being\u00a0recognized has been done here at UCF with graduate students,\u201d says Delfyett, who leads CREOL\u2019s Ultrafast Photonics Group. \u201cI know this is something UCF has been wanting to grow toward, which is a really difficult task, and I\u2019m honored to help the university fulfill this part of its vision.\u201d<\/p>\n

Delfyett\u2019s 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 help information move faster on the internet and in devices such as cell phones, laptops, tablets and autonomous vehicles.<\/p>\n

[callout background=”#009258″ content_align=”left” affix=”false” css_class=””]
\n[blockquote source=”Peter Delfyett, UCF Pegasus Professor” cite=”” color=”#fff” css_class=””]\u201cPhotonics is an enabling technology \u2014 it\u2019s not just powering the internet but influencing the whole spectrum of scientific discovery and advancement.\u201d[\/blockquote]
\n[\/callout]<\/p>\n

Another major group of his patents is related to the generation and amplification of very short pulses of light using semiconductor lasers that help build smartphones, medical stents for surgical procedures and microprecision holes to make car engines more fuel efficient.<\/p>\n

\u201cPhotonics is an enabling technology \u2014 it\u2019s not just powering the internet but influencing the whole spectrum of scientific discovery and advancement,\u201d Delfyett says. \u201cTo know that I am contributing in my own special way to the area of optics and photonics is very rewarding to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

[photo id=”21276″ title=”PeterDelfyett-PEG-SPR21-Web-300×15-divider” alt=”” width=”300x” align=”center”][\/photo]<\/div>\n

On the Pulse<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Becoming an NAE member is a challenging 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 criteria, including scientific and real-world impact, involvement with professional societies and major awards.<\/p>\n

For M.J. Soileau, a distinguished professor of optics and photonics<\/a> and former director of CREOL, it\u2019s as easy to see why Delfyett was elected as it was to make the decision to hire him 27 years ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith Peter, it\u2019s a monumental task [to summarize his impact] because you take any dimension of what a faculty member is supposed to be and he has excelled at it,\u201d says Soileau, the former vice president for research at UCF for 17 years. \u201cI 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 \u2014 and he is just a really nice guy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Through the years, Delfyett has been awarded numerous honors, but his most recent accolades include the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers\u2019 2020 William Streifer Scientific Achievement Award and the 2021 Arthur L. Schawlow Prize in Laser Science from the American Physical Society. He is also a fellow of the International Society for Optics and Photonics and the Optical Society of America.<\/p>\n

[photo id=”21276″ title=”PeterDelfyett-PEG-SPR21-Web-300×15-divider” alt=”” width=”300x” align=”center”][\/photo]<\/div>\n

A Brighter Future<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

While prestigious awards and fellowships are certainly appreciated, Delfyett says the real honor lies in molding students into scientists. To that end, he tries to instill enthusiasm and ambition in them. And the students who work closely with him recognize the benefits of his guidance.<\/p>\n

Ricardo Bustos-Ramirez \u201918MS<\/b>, one of Delfyett\u2019s current doctoral students<\/a>, says Delfyett is an enormous resource because of his more than 30 years of knowledge in the field and his infectious excitement for research.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really do love having him as my advisor,\u201d Bustos-Ramirez says. \u201cWhether it\u2019s been a failed experiment or something really personal, he has always been there. He cares a lot about his students and their futures.\u201d<\/p>\n

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