For the first time in its 77-year history, the esteemed scientific publication “Optik: International Journal for Light and Electron Optics” will be helmed by a Filipino scientist.
Percival F. Almoro, a professor at the University of the Philippines – Diliman College of Science National Institute of Physics (UPD-CS NIP), was appointed section editor of the Optik journal by international scientific publishing house Elsevier this June 2023.
Established in 1946, Optik is an internationally-renowned scientific journal, having published in its pages works by famous physicists including R. W. Gerchberg and W. O. Saxton, for whom the phase retrieval algorithm is named.
It is also the official journal of the German Society for Applied Optics, which counts among its honorary members Nobel Prize winners Stefan Hell (2014, super-resolved fluorescence microscopy) and Denni Gabor (1979, holography).
As of 2021, Optik showcased an above-average impact factor of 2.84.
In his new editorial capacity, Almoro will have final responsibility and the last word on the journal’s specialized content in areas ranging from optical metrology and interferometry to phase retrieval.
“This editorship stint is a great honor not just for me but also for all Filipinos,” Almoro said. “It is a recognition on the international stage that researchers in the country can carry out good quality research.”
