You can look forward to hearing about the diverse career paths open to photonics students during our Panel Session. During this event, you will hear about how our successful panelists arrived at their careers, what is happening in their field today, and where they see the future of their field going.
Dr. Caroline Boudoux
Full Professor of Engineering, École Polytechnique Montréal
Cofounder, Castor Optics Inc., Canada
Professor Boudoux is Full Professor in the department of engineering physics and institute of biomedical engineering at Polytechnique Montréal. She completed her PhD in 2007 in the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology. Before joining Polytechnique Montréal, she worked as a post-doctoral fellow at École Polytechnique Paris, on nonlinear microscopy. Her current research focuses on novel endoscopy and microscopy instruments for applications in head and neck and laryngology. Her work includes novel fiber optics couplers commercialized through a company, Castor Optics inc., she co-founded in 2013.
She is a member of the organizing committee for several international conferences by OSA, IEEE and SPIE (senior member), has served on NIH and NSERC grant review panels and is a Fellow of SPIE, a Fulbright scholar and of NSERC’s University Faculty Award, Polytechnique Montréal Excellence in Teaching Award, and FRQNT’s Chercheur Étoile for 2011. She is the author of 3 textbooks in Optics and Engineering and is finishing a fourth one: It Goes Without Saying—A Field Guide for PhD Students in Engineering, to be published by MIT Press.
Dr. Aimee Gunther
Aimee Gunther, Deputy Director of the Internet of Things: Quantum Sensors Challenge Program
National Research Council of Canada
Aimee is the Deputy Director of the Internet of Things: Quantum Sensors Challenge Program (QSP) at the National Research Council of Canada (NRC). At NRC, she also engages across research centres and collaborative challenge programs to shape and lead the Quantum Communications and Quantum Photonics themes within the High-Throughput and Secure Networks Challenge program and the QSP, respectively. Previously, Aimee was the Scientific Advisor for Quantum at Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) where she co-authored the DND/CAF Quantum S&T Strategy and specialized in advising and equipping senior leadership on national quantum initiatives. Aimee has over a decade of experience communicating quantum and optical science whether it be to kids, families, or policymakers. Aimee has PhD (Quantum Information) in experimental quantum optics from the Institute for Quantum Computing at the University of Waterloo. Her research encompassed: quantum photonics, nonlinear optics, biological imaging, and ultrafast laser science.
Dr. John Donohue
Manager of Scientific Outreach, Institute for Quantum Computing
John Donohue is the Senior Manager of Scientific Outreach at the Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC), a research institute at the University of Waterloo. John is responsible for making quantum science accessible for everyone by working with teachers on curriculum-appropriate material, running cutting-edge summer schools for high-school and undergraduate students, and bringing demos and exhibitions into public spaces. John earned his PhD from the University of Waterloo in 2016 for work in nonlinear and quantum optics, and studied nonlinear waveguide technologies during a postdoctoral position at Paderborn University in Germany.
Dr. Mustafa Hammood
Research Engineer Intern, Dream Photonics
Mustafa Hammood is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of British Columbia and a Photonics Research Intern at Dream Photonics Inc. In addition to his academic research, he is passionate about advancing the silicon photonics ecosystem in general, and in Canada particularly, by developing electronic-photonic-design-automation (EPDA) solutions and process design kits (PDKs), photonic test and measurement solutions, and helping advance silicon photonic fabrication and packaging efforts at SiEPICfab. He co-founded a silicon photonic design house start-up, SiEPIC Kits Inc., and is currently part of the Dream Photonics Inc. start-up team.
