University of Central Florida
04/13/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/13/2026 11:18
UCF’s Kathleen Richardson Receives 2026 Otto Schott Research Award
Trustee Chair of Optics and Photonics and Materials Science and Engineering Kathleen Richardson has been awarded the 2026 Otto Schott Research Award - one of the most prestigious honors in glass and materials science.
Presented by the SCHOTT Group and the Ernst Abbe Fund, the award recognizes outstanding contributions to research and technology in glass, glass-ceramics and advanced materials. Richardson shares this year's honor with Iowa State University researcher Steve Martin.
Together, their work reflects how advances in material structure can translate into real-world applications across industries including healthcare, energy, electronics and advanced technologies.
Inside UCF's Glass Processing and Characterization Laboratory, a researcher works with advanced glass materials used in optical and infrared applications-an area central to Kathleen Richardson's award-winning research. (Photo by Antoine Hart)A Career of Innovation
Over the course of her career, Richardson has focused on advancing the science of optical materials, helping to expand how glass can be used in increasingly complex and demanding environments.
Her work has contributed to the development of materials that can be precisely engineered for performance, supporting innovations in imaging, sensing and optical systems.
"This award recognizes a lifetime of investment in know-how, specialized facilities creation and professional development of skilled personnel, which has resulted in unique prototype materials and technology development," Richardson says. "These efforts have resulted in products that have gone on to be licensed to partners in this critical application space. I am truly honored to be recognized by one of the global leaders in advanced optical materials for our team's sustained work in IR materials."
Advancing Optical Materials
Richardson is recognized for her contributions to the development of optical glasses and infrared materials - specialized materials that control how light is transmitted and detected.
Her research focuses on designing glass compositions at the atomic level to achieve precise optical properties, enabling high-performance systems for infrared imaging, sensing technologies and advanced optics.
"Dr. Richardson's sustained career has driven significant advancement in infrared material technologies, laying the foundation for next-generation sensing capabilities," says Winston Schoenfeld, vice president for research and innovation at UCF. "Her relentless pursuit of discovery in optical and infrared materials illuminates UCF's expanding impact on the frontiers of advanced technologies that continue to shape the future."
From Fundamental Science to Application
The Otto Schott Research Award highlights the critical connection between fundamental research and industrial application, a hallmark of Richardson's work. By advancing how glass materials are engineered and processed, her research helps expand the performance limits of existing materials while opening the door to entirely new classes of optical systems.
These innovations include glasses with improved infrared transmission and tailored properties that support emerging technologies in fields including aerospace, electronics, energy production and medical technologies. Her work has benefited from diverse support ranging from government to industry (local and international) as well as state funding from Florida's High Technology Corridor (FHTC) which has provided extensive matching funds that have leveraged state funds to support education and training of several dozen graduate and undergraduate students from the Richardson group, over her career.
Why Infrared Materials Matter
Infrared materials play a critical role in technologies that rely on detecting and transmitting light beyond the visible spectrum. These systems are used in applications ranging from medical diagnostics and environmental monitoring to advanced imaging and sensing technologies.
Unlike conventional optical materials, infrared (IR) glasses must be carefully engineered to maintain transparency and performance under demanding conditions, including extreme temperatures and radiation. Their chemistry is difficult requiring specialized facilities unique to UCF, present in the University's Optical Material Laboratory, which houses the Glass Processing and Characterization Laboratory (GPCL). As a result, workforce training in such novel optical material science benefits not only local industry, a stronghold in IR optical materials manufacturing and systems, but government agencies as well.
Components of specialized glass materials are stored in sealed vials at UCF's Glass Processing and Characterization Laboratory (GPCL), where researchers develop advanced compositions for optical and infrared applications. (Photo by Antoine Hart)Richardson's work focuses on developing glass compositions that meet these challenges while offering greater flexibility than traditional crystalline materials, which are often more expensive and difficult to manufacture.
By enabling more adaptable and scalable materials, her research supports continued advances in imaging systems, sensing technologies and other applications that rely on precise optical performance.
A Global Recognition
The award, endowed with about $29,000, was presented April 13 during the annual meeting at the International Commission on Glass in Lyon, France.
"The research of Steve Martin and Kathleen Richardson clearly shows how essential a deep understanding of material structures is for technological progress," says Matthias Müller, head of research and development at SCHOTT. "These insights form the basis for developing new glass solutions that perform reliably in real-world applications and expand the boundaries of what is possible."
Awarded every two years, the Otto Schott Research Award recognizes scientists whose work bridges scientific discovery and practical innovation.
About the Awardee
Richardson is a UCF trustee chair and Pegasus Professor of optics and materials science and engineering in CREOL. She is also Director of UCF's Glass Processing and Characterization Laboratory (GPCL).
She earned her bachelor's degree in ceramic engineering and her master's and doctoral degrees in glass science from Alfred University. Richardson has spent more than two decades at UCF, following earlier work at Clemson University.
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