Born on 8 March 1959 in Queens, New York, Peter Delfyett is a professor of optics at the University of Central Florida and former president of the National Society of Black Physicists. Delfyett earned his PhD from the City University of New York in 1988. He then worked for the next five years at Bell Communications Research, developing semiconductor-diode-based ultrafast lasers. In 1993 Delfyett joined the faculty of the University of Central Florida, holding a dual appointment in both the College of Optics and Photonics and CREOL (Center for Research and Education in Optics and Lasers). He has continued to work on developing new lasers from semiconductors for use in communication systems and for investigating physical and chemical processes. Among his many technical accomplishments was the development of the world’s fastest, most powerful mode-locked semiconductor laser diode. Delfyett has published more than 500 scientific articles and has served as editor-in-chief of the IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics, associate editor of IEEE Photonics Technology Letters, and executive editor of the IEEE LEOS Newsletter. Besides his own research and teaching, Delfyett has devoted considerable time to science outreach efforts to primary and secondary students, particularly underrepresented groups. In recognition of his extensive scientific and outreach work, Delfyett has received a number of honors and awards, including the 2011 Edward A. Bouchet Award given by the American Physical Society. (Photo credit: Jon Findell/UCF)
