Álvaro Rodríguez awarded SPIE Optics and Photonics Education Scholarship

Álvaro Rodríguez Echarri was awarded a 2020 Optics and Photonics Education Scholarship by SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, for his potential contributions to the field of optics, photonics or related field.

Álvaro is an ICFO PhD candidate in the Nanophotonics Theory group under the supervision of ICREA Professor at ICFO Dr. Javier García de Abajo and Dr. Joel Cox. His research expertise pertains to the theoretical modelling of linear and nonlinear optical phenomena in few-atom thick crystalline metal films; bridging the realms of 2D atomically-thin materials such as graphene with 3D bulk crystals, these transdimensional photonic materials offer appealing properties for next-generation nanophotonic devices.

In 2020, the Society is awarding $298,000 in education scholarships to 78 outstanding SPIE student members, based on their potential contribution to optics and photonics, or a related discipline. Award-winning applicants were evaluated, selected and approved by the SPIE Scholarship Committee, Chaired by SPIE volunteer Kate Medicus.

Through 2019, SPIE has distributed over $6 million dollars in individual scholarships. This ambitious effort reflects the Society’s commitment to education and to the next generation of optical scientists and engineers around the world.

** SPIE is the international society for optics and photonics, an educational not-for-profit organization founded in 1955 to advance light-based science, engineering, and technology. The Society serves more than 255,000 constituents from 183 countries, offering conferences and their published proceedings, continuing education, books, journals, and the SPIE Digital Library. In 2019, SPIE provided more than $5.6 million in community support including scholarships and awards, outreach and advocacy programs, travel grants, public policy, and educational resources. www.spie.org