Exceptional alumni honoured with prestigious University award

Renowned physicist and science communicator Professor John Dudley has been recognised for his exceptional accomplishments in the University of Auckland’s 2026 Distinguished Alumni Awards.

Professor Dudley is one of five outstanding graduates to receive the top University honour, to be awarded on 2 May. Now Professor of Physics at Marie and Louis Pasteur University in France, Professor Dudley has made major contributions to the field of optics. He is also Chair of the Centre’s Science Advisory Group.

Professor Dudley has published more than 270 journal articles, delivered numerous international lectures on science communication and led initiatives such as the UNESCO International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies 2015. His accolades include the French National Centre for Scientific Research Silver Medal and the 2020 Optical Society of America R. W. Wood Prize.

The University of Auckland awards have been running since 1996 and recognise leading alumni for their significant achievements, contributions to society and their impact on New Zealand and the world. The Dodd-Walls Centre is making the most of Professor Dudley’s time in the country.  Prior to the awards ceremony he will be giving a guest lecture at the University of Auckland on 30 April where attendees will also have the chance to hear two-minute pitches from Te Whai Ao — Dodd-Walls Centre spin out companies.  

Professor Dudley will take the opportunity to visit other Centre nodes. In Wellington he will join the Deputy Director Koi Tū Centre for Informed Futures, Hema Sridhar for a public forum exploring how fundamental science in photonics drives real-world innovation and how innovation inspires new discoveries. You can register to attend.

In Christchurch and Dunedin, he will meet with academics at the Universities of Canterbury and Otago, as well as industry representatives from economic development agencies Christchurch NZ and Business South.

Te Whai Ao — Dodd-Walls Centre Director, Professor Frédérique Vanholsbeeck says the Centre is excited about Professor Dudley’s visit.

“John has been part of the Te Whai Ao family for a number of years now and it’s wonderful to have him back in New Zealand. It’s a great opportunity to share our research and commercialisation work with him, while hearing about the latest scientific advances from his perspective in Europe.

He has a wealth of experience to share and it will be good to bring him up to date on the science reforms here, especially the creation of the New Zealand Institute for Advanced Technologies.”

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