2nd prize: Sandra Helena Messaddeq, Université Laval
Sandra Helena Messaddeq joined the Centre d’optique, photonique et laser (COPL) in 2011 as a research professional on the Canada Excellence Research Chair team.
She holds a PhD in materials engineering and has developed unique expertise in the physical chemistry of glass. Indeed, her skills and expertise in photonic materials—and more specifically their interactions with light—strengthen the research group. At her urging, the COPL acquired new installations that increased the centre’s research capacity and substantially enhanced the training environment for students. She has implemented three world-class research infrastructures: the thin film deposition for mid infrared laboratory, the Raman spectroscopy laboratory and the sol-gel deposition laboratory. These unique facilities enable the group to meet the needs of our graduate students, as well as those expressed by our industrial partners, more efficiently.
Sandra Helena’s contributions in the field of photonics have led to the development of innovative new materials with very specific properties.