SPIE Awards $351,000 in Scholarships to 85 Students Shaping the Future of Optics and Photonics

BELLINGHAM, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 28, 2026--

SPIE, the international society of optics and photonics, announced awarding $351,000 in scholarships that will provide support to 85 SPIE Student Members studying optics, photonics, or a related field. The scholarships range from $3,000 to $11,000 and awardees are selected by the SPIE Scholarship Committee from a roster of applicants.

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“I am deeply passionate about advancing the inclusion of women and other underrepresented groups in the fields of optics and photonics, which makes it especially meaningful to be recognized as a recipient,” said Alana Gonzales, who received a $10,000 Women in Optics Scholarship. “Being able to apply this scholarship toward tuition, fees, and essential academic expenses such as books and electronics will both ease the financial burden of the final year of my PhD program and help position me for continued success.”

“Congratulations to this year’s SPIE scholarship recipients! This was an exceptionally competitive year, and the committee had a very difficult time selecting recipients given the number of outstanding and deserving students,” said David Vega, SPIE Scholarship Committee Chair and Solutions Engineering Manager with Optics Simulation. “It was truly impressive to see the breadth and quality of work coming from the students and the impact they are already having on optics and photonics around the world. The SPIE community is as excited as I am to keep supporting these students as they continue to grow and contribute to our field. Their potential is just beginning to emerge, and I am eager to see what they achieve in the future. A big thank you to everyone who applied, to the recommenders who shared thoughtful insights, and to the volunteer committee reviewers and the SPIE staff for the time and care they put into this process.”

The 2026 recipients of the SPIE named or sponsored scholarships are:

New in 2026, the $4000 Optics and Photonics Africa Scholarships were awarded to Joshua Jandrell and Fazilah Nothlawala, both of the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.

This new scholarship is the first under a new donation matching program from SPIE that aims to increase the impact of the optics and photonics community’s generosity. The Optics and Photonics Africa Scholarship was generously funded by an individual donation that was matched by SPIE.

Through the SPIE Matching Donation Program, donors can help build a sustainable photonics industry through high-impact support for students, educators, and emerging leaders who are shaping the future of the field. By matching eligible gifts dollar for dollar, the SPIE Matching Donation Program strengthens the nonprofit’s commitment to developing the next generation of optics and photonics innovators while offering donors a powerful opportunity to make a lasting contribution.

Since 1978, SPIE has distributed nearly $8 million in individual scholarships. Dedicated to building upon the strong foundation of the optics and photonics industry, the global nonprofit prioritizes providing opportunities for students entering the field. Students can use their scholarship toward tuition and fees, course-related expenses, such as books, supplies, and equipment required by their institution.

Learn more about the SPIE Scholarship Program.

About SPIE

SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, brings engineers, scientists, students, and business professionals together to advance light-based science and technology. The Society, founded in 1955, connects and engages with our global constituency through industry-leading conferences and exhibitions; publications of conference proceedings, books, and journals in the SPIE Digital Library; and career-building opportunities. Over the past five years, we have invested more than $26 million in the international optics community through our advocacy and support, including scholarships, educational resources, travel grants, endowed gifts, and public-policy development. spie.org

SPIE Awards $351,000 in Scholarships to 85 Students Shaping the Future of Optics and Photonics

Police in Hawaii were searching Thursday for a 36-year-old man whom they described as “armed and extremely dangerous” and wanted in connection with three killings within a two-day span earlier this week.

Hawaii Police Chief Reed Mahuna said authorities were deploying “significant resources and personnel” in trying to find Jacob Baker, of Pahoa, Hawaii.

Three men, including two who were 69 years old and one who was 79, were found dead on Monday and Tuesday in the Puna area of the island of Hawaii, also known as the Big Island. The island is the largest in the Hawaiian chain at more than 4,000 square miles (10,360 square kilometers).

“These are a tragic series of events and our thoughts are with those who are grieving at this time,” Mahuna said at a news conference Wednesday. “The Hawaii Police Department understands the fear and concerns incidents like this bring to our community.”

Mahuna declined to provide details on the search, but said bringing Baker into custody was his department's “No. 1 priority.”

Authorities said they had not identified a motive but were confident Baker was involved in all three homicides. Mahuna did not release information on how police identified Baker as a suspect or what evidence may connect him to the killings.

On Monday at around 8 p.m., police found a 69-year-old man at a residence partially submerged in a cement pond, Mahuna said. Police did not initially know whether foul play was involved, but preliminary autopsy results showed the death was a homicide, the chief said.

On Tuesday, a 79-year-old man was found dead with apparent blunt force injuries shortly after 12:30 p.m., Mahuna said. The killing happened about 400 to 500 feet (122 to 152 meters) from the first homicide, he said.

Later Tuesday, at around 10 p.m., police responded to a property about 19 miles (31 kilometers) from the other two killings on a welfare check request and found a 69-year-old man dead with injuries, Mahuna said.

Police said there were no known connections among the victims, other than the first two men lived near each other. Mahuna said guns were not used in the killings.

Mahuna said Baker is known to police, but did not elaborate.

Two women filed petitions for temporary restraining orders against Baker just last week, related to what they said were threats and harassment happening at a farm they were staying on or co-owned. A judge ultimately denied both applications, saying there was not enough proof of harassment provided.

One of the women claimed in her petition that Baker had threatened to kill several women who were staying on the property, and had caused a number of them to move or end their stays. She included a link to a video that allegedly captured at least one threat, but the link had either been removed or was incorrect as of Thursday.

The other woman alleged in her petition that Baker had threatened women and a disabled man, and said he would trespass on the property, take things that didn’t belong to him and say his intention was to squat on the property.

No attorney was listed for Baker, who had 20 other cases in the court record in the past two decades, many of them traffic infractions. There were also a handful of criminal or administrative citations including letting a dog wander, failure to appear in court and simple trespassing.

In most of those cases, Baker represented himself.

Puna, on the eastern side of the island, is a rural but fast-growing area known for affordable housing prices. It's also an area where lava flows have wiped out entire communities over the years. The landscape is lush and tropical mixed with barren lava fields.

Officials were asking the public to report any information about Baker and any suspicious activities in the areas of the homicides to police, and urged people not to approach Baker.

Associated Press writer Jennifer Kelleher in Honolulu contributed to this report.

FILE - A sign welcomes people to Pahoa, Hawaii, on May 15, 2018. (AP Photo/Caleb Jones, File)

This undated photo provided by the Hawaiʻi Police Department on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, shows Jacob Baker. (Hawaiʻi Police Department via AP)