Rod C. Alferness
Encyclopedia
Rod C. Alferness was president of the Optical Society of America
in 2008.
Alferness is the Dean of the College of Engineering at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Before that, Alferness was Chief Scientist, Bell Laboratories, Alcatel-Lucent
and the Bell Laboratories Research Senior Vice President. His previous position was the Bell Laboratories Optical Networking Research Senior Vice President. Alferness also was the Chief Technical Officer and Advanced Technology and Architecture Vice-President of the Optical Networking Group, Lucent Technologies
. Prior to that role, he was head of the Photonics Networks Research Department of Lucent Bell Laboratories, Holmdel, New Jersey
.
Alferness joined Bell Labs
in 1976 after receiving a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Michigan
where his thesis research, under the supervision of Professor Emmett Leith
, concerned optical propagation in volume holograms. His early research at Bell Labs included the demonstration of novel waveguide electro-optic devices and circuits - including switch/modulators, polarization controllers, tunable filters - and their applications in high capacity lightwave transmission and switching systems. This research led to the early development of titanium diffused lithium niobate waveguide modulators that are now deployed as the high-speed signal-encoding engine in fiber optic transmission systems around the world. Dr. Alferness has also made contributions in photonic integrated circuits in InP
, including widely tunable lasers, as well as in photonic switching systems and reconfigurable WDM
(wavelength-division-multiplexed) optical networks. In the mid-90’s, he was an originator and the Bell Labs
Program Manager for the DARPA funded MONET project which demonstrated the feasibility of wavelength routed optical networks that are now being implemented for both backbone and metro networks. Dr. Alferness has authored over 100 papers, holds 35 patents and has authored five book chapters.
Dr. Alferness is a member of the National Academy of Engineering
. He is a Fellow of the Optical Society of America
and the IEEE Lasers and Electro-Optics Society (LEOS). Dr. Alferness received the 2005 IEEE Photonics Award
. He has served as an elected member of the LEOS AdCom and was the President of IEEE LEOS in 1997. He was General Co-Chair of the 1994 Optical Fiber Communications Conference (OFC’94). Dr. Alferness has served as Associate Editor for Optics Letters
and for Photonic Technology Letters. He has served on many IEEE and OSA committees, including fellows and awards committees. Dr. Alferness also currently serves on the European Conference on Optical Communication (ECOC) Executive Management Committee. He served as the Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE and OSA-sponsored Journal of Lightwave Technology from 1995-2000. He served as an elected member of the Optical Society of America
Board of Directors from 2001-2003.
Optical Society of America
The Optical Society is a scientific society dedicated to advancing the study of light—optics and photonics—in theory and application, by means of publishing, organizing conferences and exhibitions, partnership with industry, and education. The organization has members in more than 100 countries...
in 2008.
Alferness is the Dean of the College of Engineering at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Before that, Alferness was Chief Scientist, Bell Laboratories, Alcatel-Lucent
Alcatel-Lucent
Alcatel-Lucent is a global telecommunications corporation, headquartered in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, France. It provides telecommunications solutions to service providers, enterprises, and governments around the world, enabling these customers to deliver voice, data, and video services...
and the Bell Laboratories Research Senior Vice President. His previous position was the Bell Laboratories Optical Networking Research Senior Vice President. Alferness also was the Chief Technical Officer and Advanced Technology and Architecture Vice-President of the Optical Networking Group, Lucent Technologies
Lucent Technologies
Alcatel-Lucent USA, Inc., originally Lucent Technologies, Inc. is a French-owned technology company composed of what was formerly AT&T Technologies, which included Western Electric and Bell Labs...
. Prior to that role, he was head of the Photonics Networks Research Department of Lucent Bell Laboratories, Holmdel, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
.
Alferness joined Bell Labs
Bell Labs
Bell Laboratories is the research and development subsidiary of the French-owned Alcatel-Lucent and previously of the American Telephone & Telegraph Company , half-owned through its Western Electric manufacturing subsidiary.Bell Laboratories operates its...
in 1976 after receiving a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
where his thesis research, under the supervision of Professor Emmett Leith
Emmett Leith
Emmett Leith was a professor of electrical engineering at the University of Michigan and, with Juris Upatnieks of the University of Michigan, the co-inventor of three-dimensional holography.Leith received his B.S. in physics from Wayne State University in 1949 and his M.S. in physics in 1952...
, concerned optical propagation in volume holograms. His early research at Bell Labs included the demonstration of novel waveguide electro-optic devices and circuits - including switch/modulators, polarization controllers, tunable filters - and their applications in high capacity lightwave transmission and switching systems. This research led to the early development of titanium diffused lithium niobate waveguide modulators that are now deployed as the high-speed signal-encoding engine in fiber optic transmission systems around the world. Dr. Alferness has also made contributions in photonic integrated circuits in InP
INP
INP may stand for:*INP , a Korean chemical company*INP , an early database system developed at the University of California, Berkeley*Integrated National Police, a forerunner of the Philippine National Police...
, including widely tunable lasers, as well as in photonic switching systems and reconfigurable WDM
Wavelength-division multiplexing
In fiber-optic communications, wavelength-division multiplexing is a technology which multiplexes a number of optical carrier signals onto a single optical fiber by using different wavelengths of laser light...
(wavelength-division-multiplexed) optical networks. In the mid-90’s, he was an originator and the Bell Labs
Bell Labs
Bell Laboratories is the research and development subsidiary of the French-owned Alcatel-Lucent and previously of the American Telephone & Telegraph Company , half-owned through its Western Electric manufacturing subsidiary.Bell Laboratories operates its...
Program Manager for the DARPA funded MONET project which demonstrated the feasibility of wavelength routed optical networks that are now being implemented for both backbone and metro networks. Dr. Alferness has authored over 100 papers, holds 35 patents and has authored five book chapters.
Dr. Alferness is a member of the National Academy of Engineering
National Academy of Engineering
The National Academy of Engineering is a government-created non-profit institution in the United States, that was founded in 1964 under the same congressional act that led to the founding of the National Academy of Sciences...
. He is a Fellow of the Optical Society of America
Optical Society of America
The Optical Society is a scientific society dedicated to advancing the study of light—optics and photonics—in theory and application, by means of publishing, organizing conferences and exhibitions, partnership with industry, and education. The organization has members in more than 100 countries...
and the IEEE Lasers and Electro-Optics Society (LEOS). Dr. Alferness received the 2005 IEEE Photonics Award
IEEE Photonics Award
The IEEE Photonics Award is a Technical Field Award established by the IEEE Board of Directors in 2002. This award is presented for outstanding achievements in photonics.This award may be presented to an individual or a team of up to three people....
. He has served as an elected member of the LEOS AdCom and was the President of IEEE LEOS in 1997. He was General Co-Chair of the 1994 Optical Fiber Communications Conference (OFC’94). Dr. Alferness has served as Associate Editor for Optics Letters
Optics Letters
Optics Letters is a semimonthly, peer-reviewed scientific journal published by the Optical Society of America. It was first published in July, 1977. The editor-in-chief is Alan Willner .- Scope :...
and for Photonic Technology Letters. He has served on many IEEE and OSA committees, including fellows and awards committees. Dr. Alferness also currently serves on the European Conference on Optical Communication (ECOC) Executive Management Committee. He served as the Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE and OSA-sponsored Journal of Lightwave Technology from 1995-2000. He served as an elected member of the Optical Society of America
Optical Society of America
The Optical Society is a scientific society dedicated to advancing the study of light—optics and photonics—in theory and application, by means of publishing, organizing conferences and exhibitions, partnership with industry, and education. The organization has members in more than 100 countries...
Board of Directors from 2001-2003.
External links
- Articles Published by early OSA Presidents Journal of the Optical Society of America
See also
- Optical Society of America#Past Presidents of the OSA