Washington, DC--The Optical Society (OSA) Fellow Emeritus and 1999 OSA president Anthony "Tony" E. Siegman, who was well-known and liked in the laser science community, died October 7 at his home in Stanford, CA. The OSA expressed its condolences at his loss. He was 79, and his birthday was recently celebrated at the 2011 Stanford Photonics Research Center (SPRC) Symposium. Siegman was active on many OSA advisory committees as well, including the OSA Summer School program.
"We've lost a good friend, mentor, collaborator and icon within our community" said OSA CEO Elizabeth Rogan. "His great passion for the field was evident in his talks, publications, and interactions with all of us, and especially with his students. His ability to communicate very complicated concepts in a clear, concise and humorous way was remarkable. On behalf of the OSA Board, members, and staff, I express our deepest condolences to Tony's family and colleagues."
An OSA member for 50 years, Siegman served on the Board of Directors as OSA president in 1999 and was an active participant on many OSA committees, including serving on the Presidential Advisory Committee since 2000. He was instrumental in the planning and execution of LaserFest, the scientific community's celebration of the 50th anniversary of the laser in 2010, serving on the technical advisory committee and as co-host of a LaserFest kick-off gala in Washington, D.C. He was also an active supporter of the OSA Foundation--the charitable organization established by OSA that is dedicated to carrying out philanthropic programs that further the study of science. Siegman also served on OSAF's Board of Directors from 2003-2008.
Siegman was born in 1931 in Detroit, MI. He received a Bachelor's degree summa cum laude in engineering science from Harvard College in 1952, a Master's in applied physics from the University of California Los Angeles in 1954, and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Stanford University in 1957.
Siegman was appointed to the Stanford Electrical Engineering faculty in 1956, where he served as a professor for more than four decades. During his career Siegman made many significant research contributions in microwave and quantum electronics, laser physics and devices, laser applications, and optics, including publishing approximately 250 scientific articles. He wrote several texts on masers and lasers including the widely-used reference and textbook LASERS (University Science Books, 1986). In addition to being named an OSA Fellow in 1968, Siegman's work earned him numerous awards from the optics community including the R.W. Wood Prize in 1980, the Frederic Ives Medal/Jarus W. Quinn Endowment in 1987, and the Esther Hoffman Beller Medal in 2009.
SOURCE: OSA; www.osa.org/About_Osa/Newsroom/News_Releases/Releases/10.2011/Optical-Society-Mourns-Siegman.aspx
IMAGE: Anthony E. Siegman. (Courtesy OSA)
