Rasheed Azzam
About Optica
In Memoriam: Rasheed Azzam, 1945 - 2022
17 February 2022
Rasheed Azzam, Optica Fellow (1977) passed away on 17 Feb 2022 at the age of 76. An expert on polarized light, Azzam achieved international recognition for his seminal work on ellipsometry, a nondestructive optical technique to determine the properties of materials, thin films, interfaces, and surfaces that is indispensable in semiconductor technology. A dozen manufacturers produce ellipsometers worldwide, and the 9th International Conference on Spectroscopic Ellipsometry was held in Beijing in May. His book “Ellipsometry and Polarized Light” is cited over 10,000 times and is translated into several languages.
Azzam received his bachelor’s degree in science from Cairo University and his doctorate from the University of Nebraska. He stayed at the University of Nebraska as a postdoc fellow and then as a faculty member until he joined the University of New Orleans in 1979.
Azzam was one of the first University of New Orleans Distinguished Professors, having taught for 41 years in the Electrical Engineering Department before retiring in 2020. He was a Fulbright Scholar, a Visiting Professor at the Université de Provence in France, and a Professor of Physics at the American University in Cairo. His volunteer service with Optica included being a Topical Editor for the Journal of the Optical Society of America (JOSA) and Applied Optics, and a member of the Publications Council. Recognition includes the 2005 G. G. Stokes Award of SPIE, the 1993 Photonics Circle of Excellence Award, a 1993 R&D Award, a 1988 Outstanding American Inventor Award, and Fellowship status in Optica and the SPIE.
Azzam was a memorable individual, an outstanding teacher who was always ready with a smile and encouraging words. He is also remembered for his integrity and his penetrating insight. He is survived by his wife of 47 years, one daughter and 5 sons, and 6 grandchildren.
