The Michael Kidger Memorial Scholarship in Optical Design
The Michael Kidger Memorial Scholarship was established to honour Michael John Kidger, who passed away while on a lecture trip to Australia in 1998. The Scholarship was initiated by Tina Kidger to provide a lasting memory of Michael’s talent in the teaching of optical design. Michael was a well-respected educator, design software developer, and member of the optical science and engineering community. He leaves a legacy of sincere concern for the understanding of his students and leadership in the development of practical design software for PC’s. The award is a grant of $7,500.
Selection criteria, requirements, submission of application documents, and ranking criteria are detailed here.
Scholarship Recipients
2025: Chuan Luo
Chuan Luo is the 2025 recipient of the Michael Kidger Memorial Scholarship award. While pursuing his master’s degree at the Wyant College of Optical Sciences, he focused on advancing optical system design for LiDAR and augmented reality (AR) applications. His research introduced a novel beam steering method using a Digital Micromirror Device (DMD), synchronizing pulsed lasers with micromirror transitions to achieve high-resolution, wide-angle scanning from a compact, low-cost platform, offering a breakthrough approach for miniaturized, high-performance LiDAR systems.
2024: Sherry Yi-Ting Feng
The 2024 winner of the Michael Kidger Memorial Scholarship award is Sherry YI-Ting Feng. Sherry received a BS in Optical Engineering from the National Central University in Taiwan, in June 2015. She is currently a 4th year PhD student performing research at the Institute of Optics, University of Rochester, under the supervision of Professors Thomas G. Brown and Miguel A. Alonso.
2023: Ankur Desai
The 2023 winner of the Michael Kidger Memorial Scholarship award is Ankur Desai. Ankur received a BS degree in Optical Engineering, Magna Cum Laude, Honors with Highest Distinction, from the University of Rochester in 2019. He is currently a 4th-year PhD student performing research at the Institute of Optics, University of Rochester under the supervision of Professors Duncan Moore and Greg Schmidt.
2022: David Lippman
The 2022 winner of the Michael Kidger Memorial Scholarship award is David Lippman. David received a BS in Optical Engineering from the University of Rochester in 2018. He is currently a 4th-year PhD student performing research at the Institute of Optics, University of Rochester, under the supervision of Professors Julie Bentley, Duncan Moore, and Greg Schmidt. A primary area of David’s research focuses on gradient-index (GRIN) optics, where recent innovations in fabrication have brought about a paradigm shift by enabling Freeform GRIN (F-GRIN) materials.
2021: Geoffroi Côté
The 2021 winner of the Michael Kidger Memorial Scholarship award is Geoffroi Côté. Geoffroi received an undergraduate degree in Engineering Physics from Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada in 2017. In 2017, he was awarded 1st place for Innovative Design in the Quebec Engineering Competition (Rimouski). Geoffroi entered the PhD program at Université Laval on a ‘Fast Track’ following the award of a Master’s degree in 2019. He is currently in his second year of the PhD program at Université Laval under the tutelage of Professor Simon Thibault, an OSA & SPIE Fellow and holder of the NSERC Industrial Chair in Optical Design.
2020: Brandon Hellman
The 2020 winner of the Michael Kidger Memorial Scholarship award is Brandon Hellman. Brandon received a BS in Optical Sciences and Engineering from the Wyant College of Optical Sciences, University of Arizona, as the Outstanding Senior, Summa Cum Laude, in 2015. He is currently a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate at the James C. Wyant College of Optical Sciences, University of Arizona, under the guidance of Professor Yuzuru Takashima.
2019: Nicholas Takaki
The 2019 winner of the Michael Kidger Memorial Scholarship award is Nicholas Takaki, a fourth-year PhD student at The Institute of Optics, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Rochester, working with Prof. Jannick Rolland, Brian J. Thompson Professor of Optical Engineering. Nicholas received a BS & MS simultaneously in Applied & Computational Mathematics from Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with honors in August, 2015.
2018: Caleb Gannon
The 2018 winner of the Michael Kidger Memorial Scholarship award is Caleb Daniel Gannon. Caleb received a BS in Engineering Physics from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in 2015, where he was honored as the Most Outstanding Engineering Physics Student in the graduating class. Caleb entered the PhD program at the College of Optical Sciences, University of Arizona, in the fall of 2015. He is currently in his third year of the PhD program at the College of Optical Sciences, working with Professor Rongguang Liang, a SPIE fellow and Associate Editor of Optica. Professor Liang comments on Caleb’s future: “His PhD research on optical design with deep learning will have a huge impact on future optical design.”
2017: Jonathan Papa
The 2017 winner of the Michael Kidger Memorial Scholarship award is Jonathan Papa. Jonathan received a BS in Physics, Magna Cum Laude, with Highest Distinction, and a BS in Optical Engineering, Magna Cum Laude, with Highest Distinction from The University of Rochester in May 2014. Jonathan entered the PhD program in fall 2014 and started his research in spring 2015. He is currently in his third year of the PhD program at The Institute of Optics, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Rochester, working with Prof. Jannick Rolland, Brian J. Thompson Professor of Optical Engineering.
2016: Yunfeng Nie
The 2016 winner of the Michael Kidger Memorial Scholarship award is Yunfeng Nie. Yunfeng is a PhD student under the guidance of Prof. Fabian Dürr and Prof. Hugo Thienpont at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Her research is funded by the Marie Curie Initial Training Network “ADvanced OPtical SYStem design” of the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme. Included in her continuing research is a new design algorithm for specialty freeform imaging systems.
2015: Eric Schiesser
The 2015 winner of the Michael Kidger Memorial Scholarship award is Eric Schiesser. Eric received a BS in Physics, magna cum laude, from The University of Rochester in May 2012. He is currently a third-year PhD student at The Institute of Optics, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, The University of Rochester, under the tutelage of Prof. Jannick Rolland, Brian J. Thompson Professor of Optical Engineering. Eric entered the PhD program at The Institute of Optics in the fall of 2012. After one year of coursework and passing of the preliminary examination, he was admitted into the PhD program in fall 2013.
2014: Brian Wheelwright
The 2014 winner of the Michael Kidger Memorial Scholarship is Brian Wheelwright, a third-year PhD student at the College of Optical Sciences, University of Arizona, under Professor Roger Angel. He is a graduate research associate in the Steward Observatory Solar Lab, which performs research in the field of Concentrating PhotoVoltaics (CPV).
2013: Tamer Elazhary
The 2013 winner of the Michael Kidger Memorial Scholarship award is Tamer Tawfik Elazhary, a third-year PhD student at the College of Optical Sciences, University of Arizona, under Prof. Jim Burge. Tamer is also a graduate research associate at the Large Optics Fabrication & Testing (LOFT) group. He passed his comprehensive exam in Fall 2012 and is currently working on his dissertation.
2012: Fabian Dürr
Fabian Dürr, a Ph.D student at the Brussels Photonics Team B-PHOT in the Department of Applied Physics and Photonics, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, has been awarded the 2012 Michael Kidger Memorial Scholarship. He has an undergraduate degree (Physik-Vordiplom) and a master’s level degree (Physik-Diplom) from the University of Karlsruhe. Fabian’s thesis topic is “Tracking integration in concentrating photovoltaics using laterally moving optics” and is being carried out under the guidance of the Chair, Department Head, and Professor Hugo Thienpont.
2011: Kyle Fuerschbach
Kyle Fuerschbach was the 2011 awardee of the Michael Kidger Memorial Scholarship. At the time of the award, Kyle was a 3rd-year PhD student at the Institute of Optics, The University of Rochester, under the tutelage of Prof. Jannick Rolland, Brian J. Thompson Professor of Optical Engineering. Kyle’s planned thesis topic is: “A New Class of Optical Design Forms based on Non-Symmetric and Freeform Surfaces.” Kyle has a B.S. in Optical Engineering from the University of Arizona with a 4.0 GPA, where he also completed a minor in mathematics.
2010: Bráulio de Albuquerque
Bráulio Fonseca Carneiro de Albuquerque, a PhD student at the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research (INPE), received the 2010 Michael Kidger Memorial Scholarship Award. Bráulio’s supervisors are Fabiano L. de Sousa, who specializes in evolutionary optimization techniques, and Amauri S. Montes, who specializes in optical system design. At INPE, Braulio also works as an optical designer on spaceborne optical systems.
2009: Dewen Cheng
Dewen Cheng, a PhD candidate at the College of Optoelectronics, Beijing Institute of Technology, was selected as the 2009 Michael Kidger Memorial Scholarship awardee. Dewen’s thesis supervisor, a Fellow of SPIE, is Professor Yongtian Wang of the Beijing Institute of Technology. Dewen is currently conducting his research work at the College of Optical Sciences, University of Arizona, under a joint education program. Dr. Hong Hua of the University of Arizona is his co-supervisor.
2008: Tobias Schmid
Tobias Schmid, a PhD Candidate at CREOL – College of Optics and Photonics, University of Central Florida, was selected as the 2008 Michael Kidger Memorial Scholarship awardee. Tobias’ thesis supervisor is Jannick Rolland, PhD, Professor of Optics and Computer Science, College of Optics & Photonics, CREOL, University of Central Florida.
2007: Florian Fournier
Florian Fournier, a graduate research assistant at The College of Optics and Photonics, University of Central Florida, was selected as the 2007 Michael Kidger Memorial Scholarship awardee. Florian’s supervisor is Dr Jannick Rolland, Associate Professor of Optics, College of Optics and Photonics, CREOL.
2006: Blair Unger
Blair Unger, a graduate student at the Institute of Optics, University of Rochester, was selected as the 2006 Michael Kidger Memorial Scholarship awardee. Blair’s doctoral advisor is Duncan Moore, Rudolph and Hilda Kingslake Professor of Optical Engineering.
2005: Ozan Cakmakci
Ozan Cakmakci, a graduate research assistant at the College of Optics/CREOL, University of Central Florida, was selected as the 2005 Michael Kidger Memorial Scholarship awardee. Ozan’s Supervisor is Dr. Jannick Rolland, Associate Professor of Optics, ECE & Computer Science, “Optical Diagnostics and Applications Laboratory.”
2004: Andrew Rakich
Andrew Rakich, a Ph.D. student at University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand, was selected as the 2004 Michael Kidger Memorial Scholarship awardee. The award was presented by Tina Kidger at SPIE’s Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation Symposium, Glasgow, Scotland, UK, on 22 June 2004.
2003: Xuemin Cheng
Xuemin Cheng, a Ph.D. student at Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China, was selected as the 2003 Michael Kidger Memorial Scholarship awardee. Her doctoral research, supervised by Prof. Wang, focuses on developing intelligent computer-aided design techniques for optical systems, with an emphasis on global optimization methods for complex optical designs.
2002: Stuart Barnes
Stuart Ian Barnes, a Ph.D. student at the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand, was presented the Kidger Scholarship Award on 4 June 2002 at the International Optical Design Conference (IODC), Tucson, Arizona. Stuart is completing his PhD on the HERCULES high-resolution spectrograph under the direction of Professor John Hearnshaw.
2001: Chunyu Zhao
Chunyu Zhao, a Ph.D. candidate at the Optical Sciences Center, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA, was selected as the 2001 Michael Kidger Memorial Scholarship awardee. Chunyu is currently working on his dissertation at the Optical Sciences Center entitled “The Criteria for Correcting all the Quadratic Field-Dependent Aberrations”, with advisor Professor Jim Burge.
2000: Liying Chen
Liying Chen, a Ph.D. candidate at the Optical Sciences Center at the University of Arizona, was selected as the first recipient of the Michael Kidger Memorial Scholarship in 2000 from a highly competitive field of applicants. Her doctoral research focuses on optical system testing, analysis, and design, and she works under the mentorship of Dr. Harry Barrett, following earlier research experience in Dr. Jim Wyant’s laboratory.
KIDGER SCHOLARSHIP AWARDEES International Optical Design Conference (IODC)
IODC 2017 | Denver, CO, USA
Back L-R: Ozan Cakmakci, Florian Fournier, Brian Wheelwright, Fabian Dürr, Kyle Fuerschbach
Front L-R: Jonathan Papa, Eric Schiesser, Yunfeng Nie, Liying Chen, Dewen Cheng
IODC 2023 | Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
Back L-R: Ankur Desai, David Lippman, Fabian Dürr, Brian Wheelwright, Kyle Fuerschbach, Andrew Rakich
Front L-R: Nicholas Takaki, TINA KIDGER, Eric Schiesser, Jonathan Papa