Tingye Li Memorial Scholarship
Background
Dr. Tingye Li (July 7, 1931- December 27, 2012) was an outstanding Chinese American scientist in the field of microwaves, lasers and optical communications. His innovative work at AT&T Bell Labs pioneered the research and application of lightwave communication, and has had a far-reaching impact on information technology for over four decades. He was a member of National Academy of Engineering (1980), Chinese Academy of Engineering (1980), and Academia Sinica (1994). He was the recipient of numerals awards, including the IEEE Baker Prize (1975), IEEE David Sarnoff Award (1979), OSA/IEEE John Tyndall Award (1995), AT&T Science and Technology Medal (1997), IEEE Photonics Award (2004), IEEE Edison Medal (2009), OSA Frederic Ives Medal (1997), and last but not the least the PSC Achievement Award from the Photonics Society of Chinese-Americans (1998).
Dr. Li was not only a brilliant scientist in the field of optics and photonics, but also a great mentor who nurtured young scientists to grow. The Fox-Li theory on laser resonators, one of his pioneering contributions to the fields of optics and photonics made in the early 1960’s, continues to benefit the scientific community and the mankind at large today. Dr. Li was also a long-time supporter of PSC, a life-member of the society and a recipient of PSC Achievement Award. Just a few months before passing away, he gave an emotional and inspiring talk at PSC’s annual meeting in 2012 at Optical Fiber Communication (OFC) Conferences to share his precious experiences at Bell Labs and drew hundreds of PSC members to the meeting.
“Dr. Tingye Li was a luminary in the field of optical communications. Importantly, he dedicated his life to helping and guiding young professionals around the world achieve their goals including via his special relationship with PSC: my students always cherished interacting with him during PSC events and in turn Tingye was inspired by the excellent PSC students. He would have been extremely proud of the outstanding caliber and character of students honored in his name by this scholarship,” commented Dr. Alan Willner (past Optica/OSA president, member of National Academy of Engineering, and professor of University of Southern California), one of the many outstanding scientists who were significantly benefited from Dr. Tingye Li’s mentorship at Bell Labs.
Purpose
The purpose of this scholarship is 1) to honor Dr. Tingye Li for his exceptional contributions in the field of photonics, his generous mentoring of young scientists and his outstanding service to the photonics community; 2) to recognize outstanding graduate students in the fields of optics and photonics, including optical communications, optical sensors, and integrated photonics; 3) to follow Dr. Li’s example to give back to the photonics/scientific community by nurturing young scientists and supporting their future success.
Photonics Society of Chinese Heritage announces winners of the 2026 Tingye Li Memorial Scholarship Award
MEDICA CONTACT:
- Steve Yao
- Photonics Society of Chinese Heritage (PSC)
- (909) 890-6016
- syao@ieee.org
OFC, March 17, 2026 — The Photonics Society of Chinese Heritage (PSC), a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering professional exchange among scientists and engineers of Chinese heritage in the field of photonics, is proud to announce the two winners and eight finalists of the 2026 Tingye Li Memorial Scholarship Award.
2026 Scholarship Winners
After an extensive review of a record-breaking pool of high-caliber applicants, the PSC has selected two winners for the scholarship award:
Mr. Zhican Zhou (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology), nominated by Prof. Yating Wan, for his outstanding contributions to integrated photonic computing and hardware security.
Ms. Xuelin Zhang (Shanghai Jiao Tong University), nominated by Prof. Jiangbing Du and Prof. Zuyuan He, for her breakthrough research in integrated photonics and waveguide superlattices.
Each winner will be presented with an award trophy and a $3,500 scholarship during the PSC Annual Workshop at OFC on the evening of March 18. The eight finalists will receive digital certificates in recognition of their exceptional academic achievements.
Selection Process & Committee
Candidates were evaluated by the Scholarship Review Committee based on a rigorous set of criteria: Academic Achievement (70%) and Community Service (30%). The 2026 Committee comprises a distinguished panel of industry leaders and academic icons, including: Prof. Vincent Chan (MIT), Prof. Lionel Kimerling (MIT), Prof. Alan Willner (USC), and Dr. Xiang Zhou (Google), as well as PSC current and past presidents Mr. Marcus Yang, Dr. Andy Sun, Dr. Steve Yao, and Mr. Kevin Zhang (Chair).
Special Recognition
The Committee is also honored to issue a special recognition to one of the applicants, Mr. Yonglin Huang of the University of Central Florida, for his inspiring lifelong pursuit of excellence. Mr. Huang’s career includes the invention of popular designs of optical circulators and polarization beam combiners. He also maintained a close relationship with Dr. Tingye Li during his early entrepreneurial years. Mr. Huang set an inspiring example by embarking on his PhD at the age of 60, following a successful industrial career.
Leadership Reflections
Prof. Lionel Kimerling of MIT noted after reviewing the 10 finalists: “It was a real pleasure to review these outstanding students. They all measure at the top of their peers across the globe.”
Marcus Yang, President of PSC, stated: “We are delighted to celebrate this year’s winners and finalists—young pioneers who are redefining the landscape of optical science. By supporting these innovators, we carry forward Dr. Li’s lifelong mission to push the frontiers of what is possible in photonics. Their work stands as a living tribute to his legacy, ensuring his passion for discovery continues to inspire the next generation of scientific leaders.”
About the PSC Tingye Li Memorial Scholarship Award
Established in late 2019, the Tingye Li Memorial Scholarship Award is presented annually to honor the extraordinary contributions of Dr. Tingye Li to the field of photonics, and to emulate his selfless dedication to mentoring young scientists and his exemplary service to the photonics community. The award is made possible by our generous sponsors.
Mr. Zhican Zhou (KAUST)
PSC Scholarship Winner 2026
Ms. Xuelin Zhang (SJTU)
PSC Scholarship Winner 2026
Mr. Yonglin Huang (UCF)
PSC Special Recognition 2026
Photonics Society of Chinese Heritage announces winners of the 2025 Tingye Li Memorial Scholarship Award
MEDICA CONTACT:
- Steve Yao
- Photonics Society of Chinese Heritage (PSC)
- (909) 890-6016
- syao@ieee.org
OFC, March 31, 2025 The Photonics Society of Chinese Heritage (PSC), a non-profit organization for promoting professional exchange among scientists and engineers of Chinese heritage in the field of photonics, is proud to announce the winners of the sixth annual Tingye Li Memorial Scholarship Award: Mr. Luigi Ranno, a Ph.D. student from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Mr. Rongxiang Guo, a Ph. D student from Tianjin University.
Mr. Ranno was nominated by Prof. Juejun Hu for his outstanding contributions to photonic sensor chips and pioneering work on high efficiency surface-normal fiber-to-chip couplers. Mr. Guo was nominated by Profs. Zhenzhou Cheng and Tiegen Liu for his breakthrough research on mid-infrared silicon photonics, particularly suspended nanomembrane silicon (SNS) photonic integrated circuits for mid-infrared sensing.
Ten finalists nominated by professors in top photonics-related programs around the world were presented to the Scholarship Review Committee and the winners were finally selected by the committee based on their scores of academic achievements (70%) and community services (30%). The Scholarship Review Committee is comprised of renowned scientists and business leaders in the field, including Prof. John Bowers (UCSB), Prof. Vincent Chan (MIT), Prof. Guifang Li (UCF), Prof. Alan Willner (USC), Dr. Xiang Zhou (Google), as well as PSC Scholarship Committee members Dr. Andy Sun, Mr. Kevin Zhang, Dr. Steve Yao and Dr. Karen Liu (PSC 2025 Scholarship Review Committee chair).
“The impact of Tingye Li on laser science and optical fiber communications can be seen in the science and the people. Optica is grateful to PSC for supporting the next generation of leaders in the field with the PSC Tingye Li scholarship. It’s a fitting tribute to a great mentor whom we also honor with Optica’s Li Innovation Prize,” said P. Scott Carney, Optica’s Chief Science and Technology Officer.
Andy Sun, the president of PSC, noted: “As we celebrate the achievements of this year’s Tingye Li Memorial Scholarship winners, we also honor Dr. Li’s enduring legacy of excellence and mentorship in photonics. This scholarship not only recognizes outstanding young researchers but also encourages them to follow in Dr. Li’s footsteps—pushing the boundaries of optical science while giving back to the community. We are proud to support the next generation of innovators who will shape the future of photonics.”
The scholarship was established in late 2019 to be awarded annually to honor Dr. Tingye Li for his outstanding contributions in the field of photonics, and to emulate his selfless mentoring of young scientists and his outstanding services to the photonics community. The number of winners is capped at two each year. The scholarship committee, appointed by the PSC Board of Directors, is responsible for fundraising the award and overseeing the selection process. The committee is currently chaired by Dr. Karen Liu, with Mr. Kevin Zhang, Dr. Steve Yao and Dr. Andy Sun as its members. The scholarship award consists of an award trophy with an achievement citation and an award check of $3000, which is increased by $500 from last year, thanks to the generous donations from our sponsors. The recipients will also receive a special recognition during the annual meeting coincide with OFC. All the top 10 Finalists will also receive a certificate to acknowledge their outstanding achievements.
Mr. Luigi Ranno (MIT)
PSC Scholarship Winner 2025
Mr. Rongxiang Guo (TJU)
PSC Scholarship Winner 2025
Photonics Society of Chinese Heritage announces three winners of the 2024 Tingye Li Memorial Scholarship Award
MEDICA CONTACT:
- Steve Yao
- Photonics Society of Chinese Heritage (PSC)
- (909) 890-6016
- syao@ieee.org
OFC, March 27, 2024 The Photonics Society of Chinese Heritage (PSC), a non-profit organization for promoting professional exchange among scientists and engineers of Chinese heritage in the field of photonics, is proud to announce the winners of the fifth annual Tingye Li Memorial Scholarship Award: Mr. Xinzhou Su, Mr. Bitao Shen, and Mr. Zixian Wei, Ph.D. students from University of Southern California (US), Peking University (China), and McGill University (Canada), respectively.
Mr. Su was nominated by Prof. Alan Willner for his excellent contributions to photonic-assisted THz and mode-multiplexing free space optical communications, Mr. Shen was nominated by Prof. Xingjun Wang for his breakthrough research on the generation and application of integrated microcombs, and Mr. Zixian Wei was nominated by Professor David Plant for his innovative and productive works in optical wireless communications.
Ten finalists nominated by professors in top photonics-related programs around the world were presented to the Scholarship Review Committee and the winners were finally selected by the committee based on their scores of academic achievements (70%) and community services (30%). The Scholarship Review Committee is comprised of renowned scientists and business leaders in the field, including Prof. John Bowers (UCSB), Prof. Guifang Li (UCF), Prof. Alan Willner (USC), Dr. Hong Hou (Brooks Automation), Dr. Xiang Zhou (Google), as well as PSC Scholarship Committee members Mr. Kevin Zhang, Dr. Karen Liu, Dr. Steve Yao and Dr. Rang-chen (Ryan) Yu (PSC 2024 Scholarship Review Committee chair). Three winners were finally selected this year, one more than previous years, because the scores of two outstanding candidates are practically tied due to the extreme competitiveness this year.
“The impact of Tingye Li on laser science and optical fiber communications can be seen in the science and the people. Optica is grateful to PSC for supporting the next generation of leaders in the field with the PSC Tingye Li scholarship. It’s a fitting tribute to a great mentor whom we also honor with Optica’s Li Innovation Prize,” said P. Scott Carney, Optica’s Chief Science and Technology Officer.
Kevin Zhang, the president of PSC, noted: “This scholarship celebrates Dr. Tingye Li’s legacy as a brilliant scientist who value connections with younger generations. We congratulate the three winners for their exceptional research and dedication to enhancing scientific dialogue through journal reviews, collaborations, and society involvement. PSC also commends the finalists for their impressive performance in a competitive program.”
| Finalist name | School name | Nominating professor |
| Ziyihui Wang | Tianjin University, China | Tiegen Liu |
| Yujian Li | The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, HK, China | Changyuan Yu |
| Gengxin Chen | Zhejiang University, China | Liu Liu |
| Xiangyan Meng | Chinese Academy of Sciences, China | Ming Li |
| Xiansong Fang | Peking University, China | Fan Zhang |
| Wenpu Geng | Nankai University, China | Yang Yue |
| Ningning Guo | Soochow University, China | Gangxiang Shen |
The scholarship was established in late 2019 to be awarded annually to honor Dr. Tingye Li for his outstanding contributions in the field of photonics, and to emulate his selfless mentoring of young scientists and his outstanding services to the photonics community. The number of winners is capped at two each year. The scholarship committee, appointed by the PSC Board of Directors, is responsible for fundraising the award and overseeing the selection process. The committee is currently chaired by Dr. Rang-chen Ryan Yu, with Mr. Kevin Zhang, Drs. Steve Yao and Dr. Karen Liu as its members. The scholarship award consists of an award trophy with an achievement citation and an award check of $2500, which is increased by $500 from last year, thanks to the generous donations from our sponsors. The recipients will also receive a special recognition during the annual meeting coincide with OFC.
Mr. Xinzhou Su (USC)
PSC Scholarship Winner 2024
Mr. Bitao Shen (PKU)
PSC Scholarship Winner 2024
Mr. Zixian Wei (McGill)
PSC Scholarship Winner 2024
Photonics Society of Chinese Heritage announces two winners of the 2023 Tingye Li Memorial Scholarship Award
MEDICA CONTACT:
- Steve Yao
- Photonics Society of Chinese Heritage (PSC)
- (909) 890-6016
- syao@ieee.org
OFC, March 7, 2023 The Photonics Society of Chinese Heritage (PSC), a non-profit organization for promoting professional exchange among scientists and engineers of Chinese heritage in the field of photonics, is proud to announce the winners of the third annual Tingye Li Memorial Scholarship Award: Mr. Huibin Zhou, a Ph.D. student from University of Southern California (USC) and Mr. Peizhen Xu, a Ph.D. student from Zhejiang University (China),
Mr. Zhou was nominated by Prof. Alan Willner for his excellent contributions to free space communications and Mr. Xu was nominated for his breakthrough research achievement on elastic ice microfibers by Prof. Limin Tong.
Ten finalists nominated by invited professors in top photonics-related programs around the world were presented to the Scholarship Review Committee and the winners were finally selected by the committee based on their scores of academic achievements (70%) and community services (30%). The Scholarship Review Committee is comprised of renowned scientists and business leaders in the field, including Prof. John Bowers (UCSB), Prof. Guifang Li (UCF), Prof. Alan Willner (USC), Dr. Xiang Zhou (Google), Dr. Rang-chen (Ryan) Yu (PSC), Dr. Steve Yao (PSC) and Dr. Samuel Liu (PSC 2023 Scholarship Review Committee chair)
“The impact of Tingye Li on laser science and optical fiber communications can be seen in the science and the people. Optica is grateful to PSC for supporting the next generation of leaders in the field with the PSC Tingye Li scholarship. It’s a fitting tribute to a great mentor whom we also honor with Optica’s Li Innovation Prize,” said P. Scott Carney, Optica’s Chief Science and Technology Officer.
Karen Liu, the president of PSC, noted: “This scholarship honors the example Tingye Li set as a brilliant scientist who always took the time to connect to people as well. He is remembered with lasting gratitude for his mentorship. On behalf of PSC, I would like to congratulate the two winners who not only performed breakthrough research as graduate students but supported the communal aspects of scientific discourse through journal reviews, inter-institutional collaborations and professional society participation. Based on the record number of applicants this year from around the world, all of which are highly accomplished, we can say the future of photonics is in good hands! PSC also these outstanding young scholars who made the finalist list in a very competitive field.”
Finalist name | School name | Nominating professor |
Yujian Li | The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, HK, China | Changyuan Yu |
Changhao Han | Peking University, China | Xingjun Wang |
Yuan Liu | Nanjing University, China | Xiangfei Chen |
Joel Guo | University of California, Santa Barbara, US | John Bowers |
Lei Fu | University of California, San Diego, US | Jesse V. Jokerst |
Hao Zhang | University of Victoria, Canada | Reuven Gordon |
Marco Andre Taveres Fernandes | University of Aveiro, Portugal | Fernando Pedro Pereira Guiomar |
Qigejian Wang | The University of New South Wales, Australia | Shaghik Atakaramians |
The scholarship was established in late 2019 to be awarded annually to honor Dr. Tingye Li for his outstanding contributions in the field of photonics, and to emulate his selfless mentoring of young scientists and his outstanding services to the photonics community. The number of winners is capped at two each year. The scholarship committee, appointed by the PSC Board of Directors, is responsible for fundraising the award and overseeing the selection process. The committee is currently chaired by Dr. Samuel Li, with Drs. Steve Yao and Rang-chen Ryan Yu as its members. The scholarship award consists of an award trophy with an achievement citation and an award check of $2000, which may vary from year to year. The recipients will also receive a special recognition during the annual meeting.
Mr. Huibin Zhou (USC)
PSC Scholarship Winner 2023
Mr. Peizhen Xu (ZJU)
PSC Scholarship Winner 2023
Photonics Society of Chinese Heritage announces two winners of the 2022 Tingye Li Memorial Scholarship Award
MEDICA CONTACT:
- Steve Yao
- Photonics Society of Chinese Heritage (PSC)
- (909) 890-6016
- syao@ieee.org
OFC, March 5, 2022 The Photonics Society of Chinese Heritage (PSC), a non-profit organization for promoting professional exchange among scientists and engineers of Chinese heritage in the field of photonics, is proud to announce the winners of the third annual Tingye Li Memorial Scholarship Award: Ms. Mengyue Xu, a Ph.D. student from the Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU) and Mr. Hao Song, a Ph.D. student from the University of Southern California (USC),
Ms. Xu was nominated by Prof. Xinlun Cai for her exceptional contributions to Thin-film Lithium Niobate Electro-optic devices for Coherent Optical Communication and Mr. Song was nominated for his excellent research achievement in high-speed free-space optical communications using structured light by Prof. Alan Willner.
Finalist name | School name | Nominating professor |
Yunhui Gao | Tsinghua University | Liangcai Cao |
Joel Guo | University of California at Santa Barbara | John Bowers |
Ming Jin | Peking University | Xingjun Wang |
Zhengxing Sun | Nanjing University | Xiangfei Chen |
Yuansheng Tao | Peking University | Xingjun Wang |
Li Wang | Huazhong University of Science and Technology | Ming Tang |
Zijiao Yang | University of Virginia | Xu Yi |
Yuanhang Zhang | University of Central Florida | Guifang Li |
The scholarship was established in late 2019 to be awarded annually to honor Dr. Tingye Li for his outstanding contributions in the field of photonics, and to emulate his selfless mentoring of young scientists and his outstanding services to the photonics community. The number of winners is capped at two each year. The scholarship committee, appointed by the PSC Board of Directors, is responsible for fundraising the award and overseeing the selection process. The committee is currently chaired by Dr. Shifu Yuan, with Drs. Steve Yao and Samuel Li as its members. The scholarship award consists of an award trophy with an achievement citation and an award check of $1500, which may vary from year to year. The recipients will also receive a special recognition during the annual meeting.
Ms. Mengyue Xu (SYSU)
PSC Scholarship Winner 2022
Mr. Hao Song (USC)
PSC Scholarship Winner 2022
Photonics Society of Chinese Heritage announces the winners of the second Tingye Li Memorial Scholarship Award 2021
MEDICA CONTACT:
- Steve Yao
- Photonics Society of Chinese Heritage (PSC)
- (909) 890-6016
- syao@ieee.org
OFC, June 8, 2021 The Photonics Society of Chinese Heritage (PSC), a non-profit organization for promoting professional exchange among Chinese Americans in the field of photonics, is proud to announce the winners of the second Tingye Li Memorial Scholarship Award: Mr. Chao Xiang, a Ph.D. student from the University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB) for his exceptional contributions to silicon nitride photonics integrated circuit (PIC), and Mr. Runzhou Zhang, a Ph.D. student from the University of Southern California (USC), for his excellent research achievement in high-capacity free-space optical communications using structured light.
The winners were selected from many applicants in top photonics-related Ph.D programs around the world by the Scholarship Selection Committee, which is comprised of renowned scientists and business leaders in the field, including Prof. Alan Willner (USC), Prof. John Bowers (UCSB), Prof. Vincent Chan (MIT), Dr. Hong Hou (Intel), and Dr. Xiang Zhou (Google).
“Tingye was a great role model for many Chinese American scientists and engineers in the field of photonics. Tingye Li Memorial Scholarship Awards is a PSC commitment in the community to continuously encourage the younger generation to study and develop their career in photonics field”, said Dr. Samuel Liu, the president of PSC.
Mr. Chao Xiang (UCSB)
PSC Scholarship Winner 2021
Mr. Runzhou Zhang (USC)
PSC Scholarship Winner 2021
Photonics Society of Chinese Americans announces the winners of the first Tingye Li Memorial Scholarship Award
MEDICA CONTACT:
- Steve Yao
- Photonics Society of Chinese Heritage (PSC)
- (909) 890-6016
- syao@ieee.org
Chino Hills, Calif. March 1, 2020 The Photonics Society of Chinese Americans (PSC), a non-profit organization for promoting professional exchange among Chinese Americans in the field of photonics, is proud to announce the winners of the Tingye Li Memorial Scholarship Award: Mr. Derek Kita, a Ph.D. student from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for his exceptional contributions to photonics sensing technology and service to the integrated photonics community, and Ms. Cong Liu, a Ph.D. student from the University of Southern California (USC), for her excellent research achievement in quantum communications and nonlinear optics.
The winners were selected from many applicants in top photonics-related programs around the world by the Scholarship Selection Committee, which is comprised of renowned scientists and business leaders in the field, including Prof. John Bowers (UCSB), Prof. Gee-Kun Chang (Georgia Tech), Dr. Hong Hou (Intel), Dr. Hong Liu (Google), and Prof. Alan Willner (USC).
“Tingye was certainly a brilliant scientist, but he was also a transformative and caring mentor who had significant impact in nurturing the growth of young scientists,” said Prof. Alan Willner, a past OSA president and a member of National Academy of Engineering. “I am thrilled to see the establishment of this scholarship in honor of Tingye.”
Dr. Xuezhe Zheng, the president of PSC, noted: “Tingye was a long-time supporter of PSC, a life-member of the society and a recipient of PSC Achievement Award. My congratulation goes to the two outstanding graduate students winning the first Tingye Li Memorial Scholarship Awards!”
Ms. Cong Liu (USC)
PSC Scholarship Winner 2020
Mr. Derek Kita (MIT)
PSC Scholarship Winner 2020
Dr. Tingye Li (July 7, 1931- December 27, 2012) was an outstanding Chinese American scientist in the field of microwaves, lasers and optical communications. His innovative work at AT&T Bell Labs pioneered the research and application of lightwave communication, and has had a far-reaching impact on information technology for over four decades. He was a member of National Academy of Engineering (1980), Chinese Academy of Engineering (1980), and Academia Sinica (1994). He was the recipient of numerals awards, including the IEEE Baker Prize (1975), IEEE David Sarnoff Award (1979), OSA/IEEE John Tyndall Award (1995), AT&T Science and Technology Medal (1997), IEEE Photonics Award (2004), IEEE Edison Medal (2009), OSA Frederic Ives Medal (1997), and last but not the least the PSC Achievement Award from the Photonics Society of Chinese-Americans (1998).
Dr. Li was not only a brilliant scientist in the field of optics and photonics, but also a great mentor who nurtured young scientists to grow. The Fox-Li theory on laser resonators, one of his pioneering contributions to the fields of optics and photonics made in the early 1960’s, continues to benefit the scientific community and the mankind at large today. Dr. Li was also a long-time supporter of PSC, a life-member of the society and a recipient of PSC Achievement Award. Just a few months before passing away, he gave an emotional and inspiring talk at PSC’s annual meeting in 2012 at Optical Fiber Communication (OFC) Conferences to share his precious experiences at Bell Labs and drew hundreds of PSC members to the meeting.
“Dr. Tingye Li was a luminary in the field of optical communications. Importantly, he dedicated his life to helping and guiding young professionals around the world achieve their goals including via his special relationship with PSC: my students always cherished interacting with him during PSC events and in turn Tingye was inspired by the excellent PSC students. He would have been extremely proud of the outstanding caliber and character of students honored in his name by this scholarship,” commented Dr. Alan Willner (past Optica/OSA president, member of National Academy of Engineering, and professor of University of Southern California), one of the many outstanding scientists who were significantly benefited from Dr. Tingye Li’s mentorship at Bell Labs.
