Kamal Rudra awarded Laser Technology, Engineering and Applications Scholarship from SPIE

ECE Master’s student Kamal Rudra has been awarded the Laser Technology, Engineering and Applications Scholarship by SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, for his potential contributions in laser technology, engineering, or applications. Rudra is the only student to receive this scholarship from a pool of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral applicants from all over the world this year.

“SPIE Photonics West 2019 was the first conference I attended as an undergraduate student, and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience,” Rudra said. “Being awarded a named scholarship by SPIE is truly an honor for me.”

Rudra specializes in the area of solid state and nanotechnology, specifically semiconductors for photonic applications, with an emphasis on optical properties of materials. In the past, he has worked on the fabrication and characterization of III-V compound semiconductors and micro-LEDs as a research associate in Prof. Zetian Mi’s research group.

“Currently, I am working as an optical engineer intern at Meta on technologies that will help shape the future of AR/VR displays,” he said. “The findings of this research work, in particular, will play a pivotal role in moving forward and advancing the technology by overcoming the bottlenecks such as the low efficiency of displays and integration of light sources.”

Currently, I am working as an optical engineer intern at Meta on technologies that will help shape the future of AR/VR displays.

Kamal Rudra

Rudra has been exploring the electronic and optical properties of materials since his undergraduate studies at National Institute of Technology (NIT), Allahabad, India. Before starting his studies at the University of Michigan, he gained experience as a research assistant at the Indian Institute of Science and as an engineer at Global Foundries in India. He has co-authored several conference proceedings and journal article and has presented his research at platforms such as MRS and SPIE conferences.

“I am really happy with the courses offered at the University of Michigan in my research area, which helped me to take and pursue different research interests under the umbrella of semiconductors and photonics,” Rudra said. “I also like that U-M has a vast alumni network, and it’s really nice to find U-M alumni in different places, including airports.”

Rudra is a student member of SPIE, Optica (OSA), and IEEE as well as several related organizations. He plans to pursue a research and development role in the field of semiconductors and photonics. In his spare time, he enjoys traveling and using drones to capture photos of nature and scenic locations.