John Dudley: Celebration will highlight the global importance of light

The United Nations General Assembly has proclaimed 2015 as the International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies (IYL2015). SPIE Member John Dudley of Université de Franche-Comté, CNRS Institut FEMTO-ST (France) serves as chairman of the IYL2015 steering committee. In this presentation, Dudley points out how IYL2015 offers a great opportunity to ensure that policymakers are made aware of the problem-solving potential of light technology.

The focus of IYL2015 is to promote improved public and political understanding of the central role of light in the modern world and celebrate significant scientific anniversaries occurring in 2015. Through IYL2015, the United Nations recognizes the importance of raising global awareness of how light-based technologies promote sustainable development and provide solutions to global challenges in energy, education, agriculture and health.

Dudley received his BSc and PhD. degrees from the University of Auckland (New Zealand) in 1987 and 1992 respectively. After postdoctoral research in Scotland, he returned to a lecturing position at the University of Auckland in 1994. In 2000, he was appointed Professor at the University of Franche-Comte, where he heads the Optoelectronics and Photonics research section of the CNRS research institute FEMTO-ST.

In 2009, he was awarded the Grand Prix de l'Electronique Général Ferrié from the Société des Electriciens et Electroniciens (SEE) and received a research award from the IXCORE Foundation. He received the CNRS Silver Medal in 2013.

Dudley chaired the board of the Quantum Electronics and Optics Division of the European Physical Society (EPS) from 2008-2010. He is serving as President of the EPS until 2015.