ANN ARBOR--Roberto Merlin, Peter A. Franken Collegiate Professor of Physics has been selected as the 2017 recipient of the Ellis R. Lippincott Award given by the Optical Society, the leading professional association in optics and photonics. This award was established in 1975 by OSA, the Coblentz Society, and the Society for Applied Spectroscopy to honor the unique contributions of Ellis R. Lippincott to the field of vibrational spectroscopy.

Professor Merlin is being recognized “for discoveries and applications of phonons in semiconductor hetero- and nano-structures as well as advanced materials using visible and ultrafast x-ray spectroscopy.”

Professor Merlin is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Optical Society, American Physical Society, the von Humboldt Foundation, the Guggenheim Memorial Foundation and the Simons Foundation. He is also the recipient of the 2006 Frank Isakson Prize of the American Physical Society. 

The Ellis R. Lippincott Award is presented to an individual who has made significant contributions to vibrational spectroscopy as judged by his or her influence on other scientists. Because innovation was a hallmark of Lippincott's work, this quality must also be demonstrated by candidates for the award. The award is presented at the national meeting of one of the sponsoring societies.