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Boon Ooi elected a fellow of the Optical Society of America

Boon Ooi, professor of electrical engineering in the University’s Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering Division, was recently elected as a Fellow of the Optical Society of America (OSA). Photo by Meres Weche.

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Boon Ooi, KAUST professor of electrical engineering, was recently elected as a fellow of the Optical Society of America (OSA) during the organization's annual meeting, which was held on September 18 in Washington, D.C. Ooi, who works in the University’s Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering Division, was recognized by the OSA for his pioneering contributions to optoelectronic device technologies—in particular those in light-emitting devices in visible wavelengths—and their applications to lighting and optical communications.

Ooi, who is also the director of the KACST - Technology Innovation Center (TIC) for Solid-State Lighting, joins a distinguished group of members who have served the OSA and the optics and photonics community with distinction.

“It is a great privilege. I owe this recognition to my students, both past and present, and supportive colleagues, collaborators and mentors,” Ooi said.

Ooi began his academic career at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and completed his undergraduate and graduate studies in electronics and electrical engineering at the University of Glasgow, U.K. Prior to joining KAUST in 2009, the Malaysian native founded his own startup based in California, which he ran for four years before joining Lehigh University, Pennsylvania, as a faculty member. He is also a fellow of the International Society for Optics and Photonics (SPIE) and is a fellow of the Institute of Physics, London.

Boon Ooi, professor of electrical engineering in the University’s Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering Division, was recently elected as a Fellow of the Optical Society of America (OSA).​


“The visible laser technology that developed in my group at KAUST can also find unique applications in high bitrate, underwater, optical wireless communications. This technology is important for seafloor survey, environmental monitoring, oil exploration, etc.,” he noted.

“The state-of-the-art Core Labs facilities at KAUST have allowed my group to achieve our research goals within a short period of time,” Ooi added.

Ooi's research interests include optoelectronic and photonics devices, and he has a clear vision for his future research goals.

“I will continue to focus on energy-efficient devices and collaborating with colleagues in KAUST to develop high bitrate systems for both free space and underwater communications,” he said.

- By David Murphy, KAUST News


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