Honorary Members

The most distinguished of all OSA member categories, honorary membership is awarded to those who have made unique, unparalleled contributions to the field of optics.

The Presidential Advisory Committee provides the OSA Board of Directors with a candidate recommendation (in rare cases more than one candidate may be brought forward in a calendar year). The election of honorary members requires a unanimous vote of the Board of Directors.  OSA  members may submit recommendations for Honorary Members to the Presidential Advisory Committee by June 15 each year.

The roster of living honorary members demonstrates the high distinction of this membership category: Nicolaas Bloembergen, Steven Chu, Claude Cohen-Tannoudji, Herwig Kogelnik, William D. Phillips, Charles H. Townes, and Emil Wolf.
Learn more about the OSA Honorary Members and the nomination process.

Honorary Dues

Honorary members receive a complimentary lifetime membership.

Benefits

Honorary Members receive the full range of OSA member benefits along with special recognitions of their distinguished member status.