Wyant College of Optical Sciences News

Applications are now being accepted for the external 2027-2028 ARCS Foundation Graduate Scholarship. We highly encourage eligible students to apply. OSC has had at least two award recipients per academic year for the last several years. Please see below for scholarship details, including eligibility and application instructions.

Dr. Leilei Peng and collaborators at the University of Arizona and Stanford University have developed a breakthrough imaging technique that captures brain activity in 3D at 100 volumes per second while maintaining sub-micron resolution. Called dual-view Bessel two-photon projection microscopy (dv-B2PM), the technology provides an unprecedented view of how neurons process and transmit information. 

Graduate student Liam Frank is featured in a new Graduate Center article examining how the ASCENDr Fellowship supports emerging researchers at the University of Arizona. The article highlights the opportunities and mentorship that have helped shape his graduate experience.

Optical Sciences Ph.D. student Yanzhao (Alex) Lu was recognized in the 2026 Robert S. Hilbert Memorial Optical Design Competition for his project, Design of a Compact and High-Efficiency LCoS Light Engine for Head-mounted Displays.

University of Arizona students Cory Kaspar, Ethan Luker, Linden Solgonick, and Matias Straub Martinez were recognized in the 2026 Robert S. Hilbert Memorial Optical Design Competition for their project, High NA Microscope Objective with Depth-Dependent Spherical Aberration Correction.

In this Five Minute Review, Cole discusses the history behind the new publication, ""Redefining precision interferometry and spectroscopy with high-performance optical interference coatings." Cole also explains how these remarkable coatings work and shares why quieter, or in other words—less wiggly—mirrors can unlock entirely new frontiers in science and technology.

In this issue of Another Wavelength, we chat with optical sciences and engineering student Supriya Roy. A member of the Class of 2027, Supriya is pursuing a BS in Optical Sciences and Engineering with a minor in Mathematics. She shares her academic journey and experiences as a student at the Wyant College of Optical Sciences.

Brian P. Anderson, dean and professor of the Wyant College of Optical Sciences, announced a generous gift of more than $800,000 in expendable funds from the Wyant Foundation Trust providing two years of seed-funding for LENS: Linking Engagement, Networks and Student Success.

Two Wyant College students received 2026 Optics and Photonics Education Scholarships from SPIE. Alana Gonzales and Supriya Roy were among the 85 outstanding SPIE Student Members to be recognized.