Dr. Donna Strickland, of the University of Waterloo, in Ontario, Canada, won the Nobel Prize in Physics for 2018! Strickland is considered one of the world’s foremost laser physics pioneers.
When she was a doctoral student at the University of Rochester in New York, Strickland figured out a way to generate ultra-short, high-intensity laser pulses without destroying the material amplifying them. Despite the historical win for women in science, Strickland was surprised by the focus on her gender when she won the prize. She doesn’t see herself as a woman in science. She sees herself as a scientist.
Strickland has been an assistant professor at the University of Waterloo, and even after winning the Nobel Prize, she wasn’t named a full professor! She has finally been named a full professor and she has made history with her Chirped Pulse Amplification (CPA)!
Strickland has been an assistant professor at the University of Waterloo, and even after winning the Nobel Prize, she wasn’t named a full professor! She has finally been named a full professor and she has made history with her Chirped Pulse Amplification (CPA)!
3 Things We Love About Donna:
- She is one of only three women recipients of the Nobel Prize for Physics and the first women to win since 1963!
- Donna knows it is a historical win for women in physics, but she would rather talk about the science rather than her gender!
- She serves as Vice President of The Optical Society!