Michal Lipson, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, was elected a fellow of the Optical Society of America (OSA) by its board of directors at their September meeting. Lipson was recognized for outstanding contributions to the field of silicon nanophotonics, where microchips use beams of light in place of electric currents. She was cited for the development of high-bandwidth modulators and low-power nonlinear optical devices, among other contributions.

OSA members who have served with distinction in the advancement of optics may be nominated for the honor by current fellows, with final selections made by a committee appointed by the board of directors. Out of 121 nominations this year, 54 new fellows were chosen. The new fellows will be recognized at meetings throughout 2008.

Established in 1916, OSA is an association of more than 70,000 scientists, engineers and business leaders from 134 countries working to advance common interests, providing educational resources to members and promoting the science of light and the advanced technologies made possible by optics and photonics.