Скачать или смотреть MJ Soileau H’23, Ph.D. - John C. and Martha Hitt Honorary Alumni Award

When MJ Soileau H’23, Ph.D., was growing up, he wanted to be a banker. He decided on that profession when he accompanied his father, a sharecropper, to a local bank in the attempt to secure a loan. What drew him to dreaming about the profession? The air-conditioned bank and the ice-cold water fountains. Soileau came from “humble” beginnings, but his mother always emphasized that there was no shame in being poor, and the way out was education.

Fortunately for the world of science, Soileau discovered something he liked better than air conditioning — physics.

In his more than 35 years of service to UCF, Soileau founded and led the Center for Research in Electro-Optics and Lasers (CREOL) and fueled its research program from $36 million in 1999 to more than $145 million in 2016.

As a UCF distinguished professor, he served as a mentor and inspiration to his fellow faculty members and to students. In addition, Soileau, and therefore UCF, has received international recognition and acclaim for his innovative laser research.

In addition to his professional obligations, Soileau has served as a volunteer leader for many community organizations including the Orlando Science Center Board and the Astronaut Memorial Foundation and received the Directors Award from the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission (now the Orlando Economic Partnership).

He has also been active on committees and boards for many international professional or scholarly societies including the Optical Society (now Optica) and president of the International Society for Optics and Photonics (SPIE), which awarded him their highest honor in 2008.

To show their appreciation and devotion to UCF, Soileau and his wife, Cheryl, established two endowed scholarships. The first scholarship is for graduate students, and the second is for first-generation students. Soileau is particularly interested in helping first-generation students as he was the first in his family to attend not only college, but high school. He has always been a Knight, and we are proud to recognize him with our highest honors for a friend or supporter of UCF.