Min Gu

Profile

Min Gu is an elected Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science (AAS) (2007) and the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (2006) as well as an elected Foreign Fellow of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (2017). He is also an elected fellow of the Australian Institute of Physics (AIP) (1999), the Optical Society of America (now Optica) (2004), the International Society for Optical Engineering (SPIE) (2003), the Institute of Physics (UK) (2008), and the International Institute of Electric and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) (2015) and as well as an elected Foreign Fellow of the Chinese Optical Society (2020).

Gu gained a PhD in optics from the Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (1987). He was awarded a prestigious Australian Research Fellowship of the Australian Research Council (ARC) (1990-1995) at the University of Sydney. He became a Professor (Chair) of Optoelectronics and the Director of Optical Technology Research Laboratory at Victoria University of Technology (1999). He was appointed Foundation Director of the Centre of Micro-Photonics (2000-2015) at Swinburne University of Technology. He was a Laureate Fellow of the ARC (2010-2015) and Pro Vice-Chancellor for International Research Collaboration and Research Capacity at Swinburne. He was Associate Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research Innovation and Entrepreneurship (2016-2019), RMIT University. Gu is currently the Executive Chancellor of the University Council and Professor of USST, China (2019-).

Gu was also a visiting professor at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore National University, Pusan National University, Shizuoka University, University of Oxford, Ecole Polytechnique Federale De Lausanne, University of St. Andrews, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Osaka University.

Gu has played a central role in nanoscale information optics, including multi-dimensional optical data storage and holography. He is the sole author of two standard reference books and the first author of two research books. He has over 600 journal publications in nano/biophotonics. He has been a member of the 20 Editorial Boards of top international journals in optics and photonics (including Applied Optics and Biomedical Optics Express). He has served on the advisory, steering, and organizing committees for many international conferences (including CLEO and FiO).

He was a director of the Board of the Optical Society of America (now Optica) and served on the Executive Committee, Finance Committee, as the Chair of the International Council, and on the Optica Nominating Council. He was President of the International Society of Optics within Life Sciences and Vice President of the Bureau of the International Commission for Optics (ICO) (Chair of the ICO Prize Committee, Galileo Galilei Award Committee). He served on the Young Scientist Prize Committee in Optics of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics.

He is a recipient of the W. H. Steel Prize (Australian Optical Society, 2011), the Ian Wark Medal and Lecture (AAS, 2014), the Boas Medal (AIP, 2015), and the Victoria Prize for Science and Innovation in Physical Sciences (2016). He won the Dennis Gabor Award of the SPIE (2019) and the Emmett N. Leith Medal of Optica (2022).

Election Statement

I have been associated with Optica since I was a graduate student studying in optics and photonics. I have been so fortunate that I have contributed to the society in a variety of roles, including as a journal editor, a conference organizer, a council member and a member of the Board of Directors.

I served as a director of the Board of the Optical Society of America (now Optica) and served on its Executive Committee and Finance Committee. I also served on the Fellows and Honorary Members Committee of the society. I chaired the International Council and the Asia Working Group. I was a member of the Optica Nominating Council. I have also served on numerous organizing committees and program committees for the CLEO and FiO conferences. I have been a guest editor and a topical editor for Optical Technology and Biomedical Optics for Applied Optics, and have served on the editorial board of Biomedical Optics Express.

I have been willing to become involved in these activities because I am fully committed to the vision, the mission and the values of Optica. I am greatly honoured to be nominated as a candidate for the Vice President role of the society.

If elected, I will provide my experience, skills and knowledge to promote the society as a global community in optics and photonics. To this end, the society should be a diverse, inclusive platform for international collaboration in the generation, application, archiving and dissemination of knowledge in light science, technology, engineering and education.

As one of its priorities, the society should create a strong, innovative linkage between industry, governments and the membership, so that the enabling role of optics and photonics can be promoted, enhanced and harvested worldwide. Equally important, the impact of the society largely lies in sustainable success in enhancing mentorship and educational opportunities for the next generation leaders in optics and photonics. They hold the key to a future where optics and photonics can enable better and greener solutions for many challenges that the world faces.

Specifically, I will work closely with the Optica leadership and staff as well as the optics and photonics community:

• To consolidate awareness of the Optica Foundation. The Optica Foundation has developed excellent programs for the career development of the members. It is important to increase foundation participation from developing nations.
• To create the opportunity for global collaboration in conference organization, journal publication and knowledge transfer. Optica has many valuable products in those areas. The engagement of Optica’s global membership can build on the enormous enabling impact of optics and photonics innovation.