UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Xingjie Ni, associate professor of electrical engineering at Penn State, has been elected a 2026 fellow of Optica, the international professional society dedicated to advancing the science of light.
Optica, founded in 1916, is the leading organization for scientists, engineers, students and professionals in optics and photonics. Fellows are selected for their exceptional contributions to research, engineering, education, business and service to the optics community.
Ni was honored “for pioneering contributions to the areas of metasurfaces and nanophotonics,” according to Optica’s press release, recognizing his influential work in designing and studying engineered optical surfaces and nanoscale light–matter interactions.
“Being named an Optica Fellow is a tremendous honor — both humbling and inspiring,” Ni said. “It reflects not only my own efforts, but also the creativity and hard work of my students, collaborators and mentors. I’m grateful to be surrounded by brilliant colleagues in our department and across Penn State, and to work in an environment that encourages bold, cross-disciplinary ideas in photonics and supports us in turning them into real technologies.”
Ni’s research focuses on nanophotonics, metasurfaces and optical physics, which are areas that explore how light interacts with engineered materials at the smallest scales. His work has contributed to advances in imaging, sensing and photonic device technologies, with applications that span communications, computing and beyond.
“This recognition also affirms the impact of our contributions in nanophotonics and meta-optics — from fundamental discoveries to practical devices that can transform imaging, sensing and information processing — and encourages me to keep advancing photonic technologies that can benefit science, industry and society,” Ni said.
The Fellow Members Committee reviews hundreds of nominations each year, assessing candidates’ impact and leadership across optics and photonics. Fellow membership is limited to no more than 10% of Optica’s total membership, making election highly competitive. Candidates recommended by the committee undergo additional review and approval by the awards council and the board of directors.
“I am pleased to see Ni has been elevated to Optica Fellow,” Madhavan Swaminathan, William E. Leonhard Endowed Chair and department head of electrical engineering, said. “Ni’s pioneering research on light-matter interactions that include metasurfaces and nanophotonics has far-reaching implications in artificial intelligence, augmented reality, biomedical instrumentation, quantum optics and many more."
Ni and the rest of the 2026 Optica Fellows class will be recognized at society conferences and events throughout the year.
The full list of fellows is available here.