Institute of Optics Archives - News Center

Will Renninger behind optics equipment in a lab.

University News

Pairing light and sound to explore new frontiers in physics

October 1, 2026

URochester researcher William Renninger is named one of 21 new Moore Foundation Experimental Physics Investigators.

Horizontal crop of a black-and-white archival photo of Nicholas George in a suit in an office.

University News

Nicholas George, a trailblazer in holography, diffraction, theory, and optics, remembered

September 25, 2026

The professor emeritus and former director of the Institute of Optics leaves a legacy of innovation and mentorship.

Photo illustration featuring URochester students Maryame Kouram, Naman Bhagat, Sherry Wang, and Zihan "Frannie" Zheng against a background featuring the city of Rochester skyline, Rush Rhees Library, and yellow and blue circles.

Campus & Community

URochester students help New York small businesses harness data and AI

September 23, 2026

The New York State Center of Excellence in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence connected 10 local businesses with student interns.

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope suspended inside a large clean room at Goddard Space Flight Center as technicians work nearby.

Science & Technology

Helping NASA see the universe in a new light

August 28, 2026

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will let scientists survey the cosmos like never before, thanks in part to dozens of URochester alumni.

Illustration of photodynamic therapy showing light killing a bacterial cell.

Health & Medicine

How light can fight abdominal infections

August 19, 2026

A light-activated therapy being tested at URochester could give doctors an antibiotic-free way to target stubborn abdominal infections.

Laser light passes through a “time gate” consisting of a thin film of indium tin oxide.

Science & Technology

New imaging technique sees through deep tissue, dense fog, and other obstacles

August 17, 2026

The AI-enhanced technology could improve noninvasive cancer imaging, lower costs, and make LiDAR systems more effective in poor visibility.

university seal.

University News

URochester faculty appointed to named professorships

Named positions are part of a long-standing tradition to celebrate the work of URochester’s faculty as researchers, scholars, and teachers.

Close up of a hand holding an instrument near an apparatus emitting a red laser representing the kind of work and manufacturing supported by the NSF STELLAR Engine.

Science & Technology

NSF selects Rochester, New York, and Finger Lakes region as national laser innovation hub

The URochester-led NSF STELLAR Engine launches with $15 million in federal funding.

A smiling Barry Silverstein next to text that reads "ever wonder" with a thought bubble emerging from it that reads "how will ar/vr change the world?"

Science & Technology

The biggest misconception about vision? That you see reality

Human vision isn’t a direct recording of the world. That’s why virtual and augmented reality still struggle to replicate it.

Five different colored vials holding seawater, Great Salt Lake water, nickel sulfate, copper chloride wastewater, and desalinated water standing next to a pile of salt.

Science & Technology

New method turns ocean water into drinking water, without waste

The energy-efficient desalination system produces fresh water without chemical additives and transforms leftover salts into useful materials.