UCF's Townes Laser Institute to be Dedicated on Friday

The Townes Laser Institute, a new laser technology center of excellence within The College of Optics and Photonics at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, will be dedicated May 4 in honor of Nobel laureate Charles H. Townes. Townes, 91, made the fundamental inventions that led to the laser, winning the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1964. He has worked as a professor at the University of California at Berkeley since 1967 in microwave spectroscopy, nuclear and molecular structure, quantum electronics, radio astronomy and infrared astronomy. Townes' recent work involves using three moveable telescopes to obtain very high angular resolution of astronomical objects at infrared wavelengths by spatial interferometry. Townes will present an open lecture on the origins and future of the laser at 11 a.m. and the formal dedication will occur at UCF’s Center for Research and Education in Optics and Lasers (CREOL) building lobby at 6 p.m. Townes will receive an honorary degree and speak at a commencement ceremony on Saturday. The Townes Laser Institute will focus on developing the next generation of laser technologies for medicine, advanced manufacturing tools and defense.