This lifetime title is awarded to young scientists from around the world working in optics and photonics. Our scientist from the Faculty of Fundamental Problems of Technology will be responsible for inspiring students and budding researchers, sharing their knowledge and supporting them in their career development.

The Optica Scientific Society (formerly OSA) was founded in 1916 in Washington, DC (USA). It is the largest optical scientific society and is dedicated to promoting and advancing knowledge in this field of science. It brings together more than 22,000 scientists, engineers, students and all those working in the field of optics and photonics from 180 countries worldwide. This includes 41 Nobel Prize winners (throughout Optica's history).

Each year, the Society awards several young scientists with the lifetime title of Optica Ambassador. This year, 10 people from Poland, the USA, Mexico, Switzerland, Canada, Australia, South Africa and Ukraine received it. Among them was Dr Mateusz Szatkowski from the Faculty of Fundamental Technological Problems.

His tasks as ambassador will include inspiring students and young scientists, supporting their career development, sharing his knowledge with them and extensive mentoring.

- This will be done, among other things, by attending events and conferences organised by the society, but also by meeting with local Optica societies and visiting as an invited lecturer, explains  Mateusz Szatkowski, PhD.

The scientist from the Department of Optics and Photonics conducts research on light structuring and its applications on a daily basis. He is a member of Academia Iuvenum, the Council of Young Scientists at the Ministry of Education and Science and a member of the Laser Beam Shaping Programme Committee at the SPIE Optics and Photonics conference. He directs research projects within the Leader and Opus programmes on the application of structured light beams in metrology and communications.

Mateusz Szatkowski, PhD, is a graduate of the Wrocław University of Science and Technology. He defended his PhD with honours in 2020, receiving a distinction from the Polish Physical Society for his thesis: "Generation of optical vortices using spatial light modulators". He is a member of the Phase Discontinuity Optics Group in the Department of Fundamental Technological Problems. He has conducted his research outside his home university in Germany, Mexico and the USA.

Outside of work, Dr Szatkowski spins kilometres on his 60-year-old road bike, goes mountain kayaking as part of the university's MKK PrzeWrotka club and terraforms Mars in a popular board game.