Diddams elected to the National Academy of Engineering
Diddams was inducted into the National Academy of Engineering at their annual meeting on Oct. 5 in Washington, DC.
Scott Diddams, professor and Robert H. Davis Endowed Chair in Discovery Learning, was elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE).
Election to the NAE is one of the highest professional distinctions granted to engineers in academia and industry.
Diddams, based in the Department of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering and the Department of Physics, was recognized for his outstanding contributions in optical frequency combs and their applications. He joins 128 new U.S. members and 21 international members to the Class of 2025.
“Each day when I get up, I feel fortunate that my job allows me to be curious, attempt to solve hard problems and work with students and motivated people doing the same,” Diddams said. “I am truly humbled by this honor.”
Diddams carries out experimental research in the fields of precision spectroscopy and quantum metrology, nonlinear optics, microwave photonics and ultrafast lasers.
One of his current projects is a collaboration with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that aims to use an optical atomic clock, to test Einstein’s theory of general relativity atop Mt. Blue Sky. This endeavor marks one of the first efforts to take ultra-precise quantum technology out of the lab and into the natural environment, opening new opportunities for navigation, geosciences and timekeeping.
I am most grateful to the students, postdocs, colleagues and mentors who have made me a better scientist, engineer and person. I am also thankful to my family for their personal support in many unseen ways.
Diddams received his PhD degree from the University of New Mexico in 1996 and completed his postdoctoral work at JILA. He also spent time as a research physicist, group leader and fellow at NIST. As a postdoc, Diddams built the first optical frequency combs in the lab of CU Boulder Nobel Laureate John Hall. Throughout his career, he has pioneered the use of these powerful tools for optical clocks, tests of fundamental physics, novel spectroscopy and astronomy.
In 2022, he joined the CU Boulder faculty, where he also assumed the role of faculty director of the Quantum Engineering Initiative in the College of Engineering and Applied Science.
His work has resulted in more than 750 peer-reviewed publications, conference papers, and invited talks, and has been recognized with numerous honors, including the Distinguished Presidential Rank Award, the U.S. Department of Commerce Gold and Silver Medals, the Presidential Early Career Award in Science and Engineering (PECASE) and the C.E.K. Mees Medal. Diddams is also a Fellow of OPTICA, IEEE and the American Physical Society.
“As a member of the NAE, it is my hope to give back to the community and country that has provided me with so much as a scientist and engineer.”