Fulbright turns on the lights for laser research

jacek-jasieniak-webFlinders honours nanotechnology graduate and 2003 University Medal-winner Dr Jacek Jasieniak (pictured) is one of 26 Australian Fulbright Scholars announced at the 2011 Fulbright Presentation Dinner at the Adelaide Festival Centre on March 10.

Currently a post-doctoral fellow at the CSIRO, Dr Jasieniak’s Fulbright Postgraduate Scholarship will take him to the US for 12 months, where he will expand on a current project that seeks to develop laser technology in new ways.

Dr Jasieniak, who gained his doctorate at the University of Melbourne, said that the future development of printable and electrically operated lighting and lasers could revolutionise the way houses, streets and cars will look, how we will detect explosives and pathogens in water, and even what types of computers we will use.

His US research will make use of fabrication facilities at University of California at Santa Barbara, and will ultimately feed into CSIRO’s efforts to develop new kinds of flexible solar cells and lighting systems through their Future Manufacturing National Research Flagship.

The 2011 Fulbright Scholars come from across Australia and include postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers, senior academics, and professionals from a wide range of disciplines in industry and government. The scholarships are worth up to $45,000 and fund study and research in the US from three to 12 months.

Created by American Senator J. William Fulbright and the US Government in 1946, the Fulbright Program is the largest educational scholarship of its kind. It aims to promote mutual understanding through educational exchange, and currently operates between the US and 155 other nations.

The Australian-American Fulbright Program was established in 1949 through a bi-national government agreement.

The Australian-American Fulbright Commission Acting Executive Director, Ms Lyndell Wilson, said the scholarships can lead researchers to change their perspectives and create incredible new opportunities in both in a professional and personal sense.

Visit Fulbright’s Current Australian Scholars page for a full list of 2011 Scholars, media profiles and photographs.

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