Lily McKenna and Carolyn Hokin Named Among Optica Women Scholars
Lily McKenna and Carolyn Hokin, Wyant College of Optical Sciences students, were named by Optica Foundation among the twenty exceptional Optica Women Scholars for 2024.
Optica describes the program saying it, "provides visibility, community, and resources for women in optics and photonics via financial support, professional development, and establishing a global network as they enter the field. The scholarship is awarded based on need, academic performance, and demonstrated potential." Each of the twenty scholars recognized will receive a US$10,000 scholarship, allowing them to focus on their academic goals. Additionally, the scholars are granted a year of membership with Optica as well as paired with Optica mentors. Congratulations Lily and Carolyn!
Lily McKenna
Lily is currently in her first year pursuing a Ph.D. in optical sciences. She discovered her interest in optics while studying physics as an undergrad at Rochester Institute of Technology. Her primary areas of interest are in imaging science and computational imaging. She is studying in the Polarization Lab with Dr. Meredith Kupinski. Her research involves investigating polarized light scattering for applications in computer vision and rendering. Lily is also a member of the Women in Optics organization, where she helps organize events to promote inclusivity and a sense of community within the college. This award will help her focus on her studies and provide funding for attending conferences so she can share her research. It also provides a chance to connect with and learn from other researchers in the field.
Carolyn Hokin
Carolyn Hokin is a student in the Accelerated Master’s Program at the Wyant College of Optical Sciences. She is a research member in the Lightweight Optics Lab, where she studies the long-term stability of ultrafast-laser stress figuring in thin fused silica optics, under advisor Dr. Brandon Chalifoux. In 2023, Carolyn presented a poster and published a paper on the initial results at the SPIE Optomechanical Engineering conference in San Diego, CA. She completed a manufacturing internship with MKS Instruments that same summer. This academic year, she led a capstone project on the study of the propagation of unpolarized light in polarization maintaining fiber with a student team. She was among the awardees of the 2022-2023 Robert S. Hilbert Memorial Optical Design Competition, selected with her team for a project on a two-group lens design for a compact relay for image steering in augmented reality. Carolyn plans to work in industry after she completes her MS in Optical Sciences.