People

Amit Ashok, Associate Professor (OSC & ECE) and Director, Intelligent Imaging and Sensing Lab (I2SL) 

I received my Ph.D. degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Arizona (2008) and a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Cape Town, South Africa (2001). Before returning to the University of Arizona, I worked as a Senior Scientist in the research and development division of OmniVision CDM Optics on novel computational imager designs for commercial applications such as security, automotive, cell-phone based imaging. My research interests span the areas of task-based computational imaging and sensing, inverse problems, statistical inference, information theory, and system optimization as it relates to image science. I am also interested in design and analysis of adaptive measurements for task-based imaging and sensing that incorporate active statistical learning techniques. I have made several key contributions in the areas of task-based joint system design framework for computational imaging and information-theoretic system performance measures across several imaging modalities spanning RF to visible/IR and X-ray domains. I have over 50 peer-reviewed publications, holds several US and international patents, and has been invited to speak at OSA, IEEE, SIAM, SPIE and Gordon research conferences. I currently serves as a topical editor for OSA’s JOSA A journal and a general chair of SPIE’s Computational Imaging and Anomaly Detection and Imaging with X-ray conferences.

                                 

Research Scientist & Collaborators

Ali Bilgin, Associate Professor (BME, ECE, Bio5, & MI)

Boulat Bash, Assistant Professor (ECE)

David Brady, Professor (OSC)

Eric Clarkson, Professor (MI, OSC, & Applied Mathematics)

Michael Gehm, Associate Professor (ECE, Duke University)

Joel Greenberg, Assistant Research Professor (ECE, Duke University)

Saikat Guha, Nasser Peyghambarian Endowed Chair in Optical Sciences & Professor (OSC)

Abhijit Mahalanobis, Associate Professor (ECE)

Michael Marcellin, Regents’ Professor (OSC & ECE)

Mark Neifeld, Professor Emeritus (OSC & ECE)

Stanley Pau, Professor (OSC & ECE)

Research Staff

Ratchaneekorn (Kay) Thamvichai, Professor of Practice (ECE)

I am professor of practice in Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) department at University of Arizona. I received my Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from University of Colorado, Boulder and my Master degree in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University. Since joining U of A, I have taught various undergraduate ECE courses and worked as a researcher in several projects such as task-specific information for analysis and deigns of advanced x-ray explosive threat detection and Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative, or MURI, project in optical computing. My research interests include signal processing, information theory, statistical inference, image processing, and signals and systems.

Tammie Brown, Coordinator, Research Projects (OSC)

I received my Bachelor of Science degree from Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and completed graduate course work towards my Masters of Public Administration degree at Long Island University in Brookville, New York. I have worked in the private sector, local government, nonprofit industry, and academia. I have work as program manager, grant writer, assistant director of financial aid, assistant director of grants, and deputy director of grants management to name only a few. I have also assisted with a gubernatorial campaign; have a successful floral design, gift basket, and event coordinating business; have a book club; and regularly volunteer in the audio visual ministry at my church. I love period pieces, documentaries, a good book, cooking, spending time with my family and friends, and laughter – lots of laughter.

Stacy Marquardt, Administrative Associate (OSC)

I was born and raised in Eugene, Oregon before moving to Tucson in July of 2020. Before coming to the University of Arizona, I was the Director of Development and Admissions for a small private school where I handled all of the major fundraising events and helped families navigate the school’s enrollment process. I have enjoyed meeting so many great university students, staff, and faculty and will continue providing great administrative support where I can. I love to spend time with family, hike, swim, kayak, and take in as much of this beautiful cactus country as I can!

 

Postdoctoral

 

Graduate Students

Joseph Cox (Ph.D. program in Optical Sciences)

I earned a BS in Electrical Engineering from New Mexico Tech in 2016. Prior to attending the University of Arizona, I worked at the Naval Air Weapons Center, Weapons Division, and completed work in Radar Imaging and Electronic Warfare. Some of my other areas of experience also includes tracking applications at the Air Force Research Laboratory and electronics and physics simulations at Sandia National Laboratories.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nicolas Deshler (B.S. program in Optical Sciences)

I graduated from the University of California Berkeley in 2021 with degrees in physics and computer science. During my undergraduate career I worked on a lensless diffuser-based computational camera for single-shot 3D imaging in the Computational Imaging Lab directed by Professor Laura. I later spent two years working at Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Technology Center to develop an interferometric camera printed on a photonic integrated circuit. As a PhD student in the Intelligent Imaging and Sensing Lab, my primary interest is in computational imaging systems involving quantum light. My graduate research seeks to create quantum super-resolution imaging systems that pairs spatial mode demultiplexing with compressive sensing techniques.

 

 

Logan Pawlowski (B.S. program in Optical Sciences)

I was born and raised in Corvallis, Oregon, where I worked as a mechanic, bodyworker, and painter for a professional hot rod restoration shop, while also working as a KTM/Husqvarna motorcycle mechanic. My hobbies of film and photography sparked an interest in optical sciences and engineering that brought me to the University of Arizona. Since then, I have interned at Northrop Grumman Space Systems and Leonardo Electronics, where I have focused on detection/tracking technologies, directed energy and beam control subsystems, 3D-modeling, optical metrology, and laser diode manufacturing processes. My current research supports the development of an intelligent event-based sensor (EBS) motion algorithm through outdoor data collection efforts using fixed-wing aircraft and quadcopters as airborne targets to improve EBS task-based performance limitations. Aside from academia, you will find me outdoors doing anything from snow-skiing, surfing, biking, or climbing mountains. My areas of interests are Laser Diode & Fiber Technologies, Detection/Tracking, and Low-light Imaging.

 

 

Trevor Reed Schlack (M.S. program in Optical Sciences)

I am a second-year master’s student working within the event-based imaging subgroup at I2SL. My current project is prototyping a fused tracking system that combines the temporal advantages of event-based sensors with the classification advantages of traditional cameras. I earned my bachelor’s degree in Physics from Reed College, where my undergraduate thesis examined the propagation of ionizing radiation through the interstellar medium. After my bachelor’s, I worked as an analyst programmer at Portland State University. There, I developed deconvolution routines for digital holographic microscopy. This experience fostered my interest in imaging, which led me to the optics program here at the University of Arizona. Since joining UA, I’ve worked for the Environmental Protection Agency to aid in tracking surface-level concentrations of fine particulate matter using satellite measurements of optical depth and geochemical models. My areas of interests are Image processing, statistical optics, and system programming.

 
 

Jacob Trzaska (Ph.D. program in Optical Sciences)

I am originally from Las Vegas, Nevada and received my B.S. in Physics (Magna Cum Laude) from the University of Nevada, Reno in 2020. Since then I have been enrolled in the Optical Sciences Ph.D. program at the University of Arizona, where I am working to develop novel detection and tracking technologies for event cameras under the supervision of Professor Amit Ashok. My areas of interests are event cameras, high-performance computing, machine learning, and optics.

 

 

 

 

 

Sebastian Valencia (M.S. program in Optical Sciences)

I completed my B.S. degree in Optical Sciences & Engineering from the University of Arizona in 2022. I’ve previously worked as an optical engineer at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and at Ball Aerospace. As an undergrad, my work focused on using Fourier Optics to improve Event-Based Sensor (EBS) technology for detection and tracking application viability. My current focus is on Reconfigurable Mode Sorters for Super-Resolution Imaging. My areas of interests are Optical Design, Display Optics, and Metrology.

 

 

 

 

 

 Jay Voris (Ph.D. program in Optical Sciences)

I was born and raised in Rochester, NY before moving to Baltimore at the age of eleven. I found my interest in mathematics at a local homeschool math club, an interest that continued through many math competitions in high school. I graduated from high school in 2007 and returned to Rochester to study Optics at the University of Rochester. I earned my bachelor’s in Optical Engineering in 2011 and took an extra year on scholarship to study linguistics and Chinese through their Take 5 program. In 2012, I enrolled in the graduate program at University of Arizona to continue my studies in Optical Sciences where I earned my master’s and am finishing my doctorate on Computational Microscopy and X-ray Material Discrimination. My areas of interest are computational microscopy, interferometry, and x-ray tomography.

 

                                 

       

Alumni

2022

Dr. Kwan Kit Lee, Algorithm Engineer, KLA

I2SL (OSC PhD: 2017-2022)

Dr. Hwang-Jye Yang,

I2SL (OSC PhD: 2014-2022)

Dr. Shu Yang,

I2SL (OSC PhD: 2015-2022)

2021

Dr. Yijun Ding, Application Engineer, Synopsis

I2SL (PHYS. PhD: 2009-2016, OSC Postdoc: Apr 2018 – May 2021)

2020

Dr. Ahmad Masoudi

I2SL (ECE PhD: 2014-2019, OSC Postdoc: Apr 2019 – Jul 2020)

2019

Dr. Yuzhang Lin, Senior Software Design Engineer, ASML

I2SL (ECE MS: 2012-2015, ECE PhD: 2015-2019)

2017

Dr. Ronan Kerviche, Camera Systems Engineer, Apple

I2SL (OSC MS: 2011-2014, OSC PhD: 2014-2017, OSC Postdoc: Jun 2017 – Feb 2018)

2016

Dr. James Huang, Data Management Analyst, Pharmaceutical Outcomes & Policy, University of Florida

I2SL (ECE PhD: 2008-2016, OSC Postdoc: Jun 2016-Dec 2017)

Donald Kilgus, Principal Vision Engineer, OSRAM

I2SL (OSC MS: 2012-2016)