Peter J. Delfyett, Sterling Backus and Frédérique Vanholsbeeck will serve on Optica’s Board of Directors

29 September 2026

Peter J. Delfyett, Sterling Backus and Frédérique Vanholsbeeck will serve on Optica's Board of Directors

Each brings a legacy of leadership, service and partnership with the Society.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Optica announces three new members to its board of directors. Peter J. Delfyett, CREOL, University of Central Florida, USA, was elected by Optica's membership to serve as 2027 Optica Vice President. Sterling Backus, Thorlabs, Inc., USA, and Frédérique Vanholsbeeck, University of Auckland, New Zealand, will serve as 2027 - 2029 Directors at Large.

Peter Delfyett is an internationally recognized leader in ultrafast optics and semiconductor lasers. Working at Bellcore, he developed the world's fastest and most powerful mode-locked semiconductor laser diode. Since 1993, he has worked at CREOL, where he directs the Townes Laser Institute and is a University Distinguished Professor. He has authored more than 850 publications, holds 45 U.S. patents and co-founded Raydiance, Inc. His honors include election to the National Academy of Engineering, the APS Arthur L. Schawlow Prize, and the 2026 SPIE Harold E. Edgerton Award. A dedicated volunteer, Delfyett has held numerous leadership roles in the scientific community, including Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics and Chair of the CLEO Steering Committee. He has served on the Board of Directors of Optica and the Board of Governors of the IEEE Photonics Society, and he has been the Chair of the APS Division of Laser Science and President of the National Society of Black Physicists (NSBP). He is a Fellow of APS, AAAS, Optica, IEEE Photonics Society, SPIE, the National Society of Black Physicists and the National Academy of Inventors.

"Peter has spent his career pushing the boundaries of what ultrafast lasers can do, and his vision has helped shape modern photonics," said Elizabeth Nolan, Optica CEO. "He is a strong leader, a brilliant scientist and a dedicated volunteer. We are thrilled to welcome Peter to Optica's Board of Directors, where his experience and expertise will help Optica to best meet the evolving needs of the optics and photonics community."

Sterling Backus and Frédérique Vanholsbeeck have been elected as Directors at Large for the 2027 - 2029 term. Backus is an Advanced Project Scientist at Thorlabs, Inc. and an affiliate researcher at Colorado State University. He serves on the Optica Meetings Council, is an Optica Fellow and is the Optica FiO program co-chair for 2026 - 2027. Backus also served as the CLEO program chair in 2017 and general chair in 2019.

Vanholsbeeck is a professor of physics at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland, New Zealand, where she leads one of Aotearoa New Zealand's most active biophotonics groups. She is an Optica Fellow and was the president of the Australian and New Zealand Optical Society (ANZOS), a member of the Marsden Fund panel and has held several leadership roles in major international and regional conferences.

About Optica

Optica, Advancing Optics and Photonics Worldwide, is the Society dedicated to promoting the generation, application, archiving and dissemination of knowledge in the field. Founded in 1916, it is the leading organization for scientists, engineers, business professionals, students and others interested in the science of light. Optica's renowned publications, meetings, online resources and in-person activities fuel discoveries, shape real-life applications and accelerate scientific, technical and educational achievement. Discover more at: Optica.org

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