Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's (LLNL) Zhi Liao has been elected as a senior member of SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics.
SPIE bestows the senior member designation on individuals who have distinguished themselves through their professional experience and their active involvement within both the optics community and SPIE. Liao is one of 107 new members elected in 2024.
Liao, a laser physicist, is the workforce manager for LLNL's National Ignition Facility and Photon Science Directorate (NIF&PS). He received the elevated status in recognition of his contributions to optics research and service to the optics community.
"It is a great honor to receive this award," Liao said. "I'm so fortunate to have a career here at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, working on many state-of-the-art laser systems and being a part of the team that made ignition possible."
As NIF&PS workforce manager, he oversees strategy and execution for the directorate's hiring, onboarding, career development and mentorship programs for employees. Liao also leads external engagement focused on college and graduate students. He established and expanded the NIF&PS Summer Scholar Program, created the NIF Laser Roadshow, and piloted the NIF&PS Rotational Experience. In addition, he helped establish a consortium with three Historically Black Colleges and Universities to develop a diverse workforce in photonics and material science.
Liao received his bachelor's, master's and and Ph.D. degrees in optical engineering from the University of Rochester before joining LLNL in 2001. With research expertise in nonlinear optics, adaptive optics and laser-induced optic damage, he contributed to many of LLNL's successful laser projects. Most notably, he developed models for predicting optics lifetimes for NIF and co-led an integrated team that successfully commissioned a new optic, the fused silica debris shield, on NIF.
Liao also is a senior member of Optica and part of a team that received a 2006 R&D 100 award for developing the high-average-power frequency conversion device for the Mercury laser system using an yttrium calcium oxyborate (YCOB) crystal.
