Shuji Nakamura, winner of the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work in efficient blue light-emitting diodes, takes questions from the audience at a news conference at UC Santa Barbara on Tuesday. Credit: Patricia Marroquin
Materials and Electrical & Computer Engineering Professor Shuji Nakamura has been a shining light for graduate students at UC Santa Barbara for years. So grad students were understandably proud when they learned the news Tuesday that Dr. Nakamura, along with two Japanese scientists, had won the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics for inventing efficient blue light-emitting diodes, or LEDs. We asked a few grad students to tell us how they feel about Professor Nakamura’s honor. Here’s what they had to say:
Leah KuritzkyLeah Kuritzky
The Materials Ph.D. student was a finalist in the 2014 Grad Slam for her talk on laser lighting applications and a participant at the 63rd annual Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting in Lindau, Germany, in 2013. She said: “We are all so proud of Professor Nakamura. The impact of his contributions continues to grow as solid state lighting is adopted even more widely. The Nobel Prize is well-deserved for the magnitude of his achievements and how they've transformed lighting.”
Humberto Foronda
Humberto ForondaThe third-year Materials Ph.D. student was “ecstatic” upon hearing the news. Said Foronda about Dr. Nakamura: “His achievements are literally life-changing. Personally, it makes me very proud to be a member of this research group and to attend UCSB, working and studying at the Materials Department. Professor Nakamura’s presence and achievements are motivations to go to work every day and be the best that I can be. I truly believe this work will change the way the world sees lighting.”
David Hwang
David HwangThe second-year Materials Ph.D. student is working on developing a way to fabricate light-emitting diodes and integrate them on various substrates. David learned the news that Professor Nakamura had won the Nobel Prize on his way to the bus stop to go to campus. “I started yelling, ‘Shuji won the Nobel!’ It was really encouraging to see his hard work recognized and made me even more proud to be working on gallium nitride LEDs,” David said. “Professor Nakamura’s win is really motivational because he has a great story,” he said. “From being told ‘no’ many times in his early career to now, he has endured many obstacles and put a tremendous effort into realizing his dreams. His win shows that it is never too late to pursue your dreams and should be a lifelong venture. The award further substantiates that we are at the forefront of the field and that UCSB is a top-notch research institution.”
Peter Mage
Peter MageThe fourth-year Materials Ph.D. student and winner of the Graduate Division’s inaugural Grad Slam last year said his reaction to the news of Dr. Nakamura’s win “was a mix of surprise and excitement – it literally was the first thing I saw when I woke up today!” Peter says: “While I don't work directly in the field that Dr. Nakamura won his prize for, I'm thrilled for UCSB and the Materials Department. I'm no Swede, but I believe this award is well-deserved and is a great reflection of the quality of work performed in the College of Engineering here, both in terms of innovation and potential for worldwide impact. I'm excited that UCSB is being recognized for this high level of research, and hopefully this will help to draw even more top-tier students and faculty (and research funding) to the Engineering School at UCSB.”
Anisa Myzaferi
Anisa MyzaferiAnisa is a fourth-year graduate student at the Solid State Lighting & Energy Electronics Center, pursuing a Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering. Upon hearing the news of Dr. Nakamura’s Nobel Prize, Anisa said, “My first reaction was joy, excitement, and pride to be working in the field of GaN optoelectronic devices. At the same time, I felt an immediate renewed motivation for my own research and commitment to successfully carry this field forward.” She called Professor Nakamura “a very humble scientist, even though he is so accomplished. This particular trait of his is a personal inspiration to me, regarding the type of scientist that I want to be. Professor Nakamura, together with the other professors who guide our research here at SSLEEC, trust and support us unconditionally as we conduct our Ph.D. research, so to see him win the Nobel makes me particularly happy and grateful. It is a most deserved accolade that highlights his effective scientific leadership.” Anisa said the reason he won the Nobel, his work in blue light-emitting diodes, “illustrates the importance of recognizing the need for energy-efficient devices and efficient management of current technologies. Bestowing the Nobel Prize in Physics on this particular achievement renews the motivation and concentration of the global community on the exigent topic of energy efficiency. It is an honor that UCSB and SSLEEC are at the forefront of contributing high impact results to this most humanitarian goal.”
For more information about Dr. Shuji Nakamura’s Nobel Prize, read the Office of Public Affairs and Communications news release.
Dr. Shuji Nakamura displayed the blue light-emitting diode at the news conference. Credit: Patricia Marroquin
On Tuesday at a news conference at UCSB, officials toasted Shuji Nakamura for winning the Nobel Prize in Physics. Credit: Patricia Marroquin