I recently returned from South Korea—halfway around the world for me—a country with a very different climate, language, and culture than my hometown of Tucson, Arizona. Yet I couldn’t help but think I saw more similarities than differences during my visit, especially regarding the minds and motivations of those working in optics and photonics.
My first stop was the Optical Society of Korea’s Summer Congress on the tropical Jeju Island. I was honored to present a plenary talk and meet intelligent and dedicated faculty, students, and industry members from across Korea. I couldn’t understand all the conversations, and my blonde head stood out, but I saw posters with excellent research relevant to my own, and I recognized the same excitement and nervousness in the students that my own trainees show.
People weren’t the only thing the same. I brought some cactus candy from Tucson, thinking surely this desert delicacy would be new to Koreans. Whoops! It turns out that cactus chocolate is a Jeju specialty! Our treats looked different, Tucson’s ruby red jellies vs. Jeju’s pink traditional old man statue-shaped chocolates, but inside, they shared the same delicious summery tang. Different, but similar, and I’d never thought of putting my backyard prickly pear into chocolate; what an excellent idea to bring back home.
My next stops were the Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST) in Daejeon and Yonsei University in Seoul. The sleek KAIST and the gorgeous Yonsei bore little physical resemblance to my own rugged University of Arizona. But the differences faded away once we got inside a lab and started talking about optics. We all share a deep passion for pushing the boundaries of knowledge and turning our discoveries into products and services that benefit people and the planet. Our shared belief in the power of optics is a bond that transcends borders, and we are stronger when we connect and exchange ideas.
Now, back home, I am preparing for Optics + Photonics, where, among other duties, I will have the honor of hosting the Society Awards ceremony. I am exceptionally proud to present one of the awards—the Presidential Award for Outstanding Student Chapter. This year’s recipient is the University of Guanajuato SPIE Student Chapter from Salamanca, Guanajuato, Mexico. The students are being recognized for their many outreach activities and efforts to introduce the exciting world of optics to other students and their broader community. Again, a group of people with a different cultural background than mine but a shared love of optics and tackling problems will bring us together in San Diego.
Whether it is the research community in South Korea or students in Mexico, the optics and photonics community and our Society are indeed global and bright. At your next SPIE event, I challenge you to find a person who looks nothing like you and ask them about their work and reasons for pursuing optics. You will find your similarities outweigh your differences, and your conversation will enrich and inspire you both.
Jennifer Barton
2024 SPIE President
