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Cather Simpson
Image courtesy of
Royal Society Te Apārangi |
SPIE Member M. Cather Simpson, a professor in the physics and chemistry departments at the University of Auckland, has been elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand (FRSNZ) Te Apārangi. Simpson is one of 20 new Fellows admitted to the Fellowship Academy according to their announcement 1 November.
Simpson is part of the Centenary Cohort as over 400 Fellows have been named a Fellow since the program’s inception in 1919, and each member is selected for distinction in research or for advancing science, technology and the humanities. Simpson joins the cohort for her internationally renowned contributions to fundamental new knowledge about how light interacts with matter. According to her FRSNZ profile, “her research has achieved seminal insight into multi-disciplinary areas ranging from ultrafast dynamics of heme proteins, laser-generated force on sperm, and laser beam-shaping to transform materials at the microscale. She also applies that research to address important practical challenges, and thereby generates transformative impact through both.”
Simpson, is also Principal Investigator of the Dodd-Walls Centre, and founding inventor in two science startup companies, including Silicon Valley award-winner Engender. She manages to be a very active Member of the SPIE community as well. She has presented at SPIE conferences for the past five years, and served on conference committees. This year she participated in the 2018 SPIE Start Up Challenge at Photonics West where her latest entrepreneurial endeavor earned third place. See her profile in the 2018 Women in Optics Planner to learn more.
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