Joseph W. Perry
About Optica
In Memoriam: Joseph W. Perry, 1955 - 2022
25 November 2022
Joseph Walter Perry, Optica Fellow and Professor of the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Georgia Institute of Technology, passed away on 25 November 2022. He was known for his research and breakthroughs in the fields of 3D micro printing, high-density energy storage, ultrafast optical switching, microlaser, and nonlinear optical properties.
Perry began his studies at the University of South Florida where he received his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry in 1977. He then pursued his PhD at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and in 1984, he went on to conduct research at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in molecular spectroscopy. In 1985, Perry became the Senior Research Scientist for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) at NASA where he led a research group in organic optoelectronics. Perry also participated in the NASA Tiger Team for the Wide Field Planetary Camera II that was formerly installed on the Hubble Space Telescope and identified a morphology problem on charge-couple devices (CCDs). His solution was formulating a deposition process with improved morphology and stability.
Perry was recognized for his achievements and research and in 1989, JPL awarded him the Director’s Research Achievement Award. In 1992, he received the Medal for Exceptional Scientific Achievement from NASA. In 2006, he was recognized with Optica Fellow status for innovative contributions to the understanding and application of nonlinear optical properties of organic materials. He was also recognized with Fellow status by the American Physical Society in 2009, the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2011, and the World Technology Network in 2015.
In addition to his achievements, Perry was active in the CLEO Science and Innovation Program Committees from 1999 through 2001. He was also a Topical Editor for JOSA B from 2007 until 2010.
Optica, his students, and the scientific community mourn his loss.
