On October 2, 2018, Physics and Astronomy professor Donna Strickland was awarded the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics, making her the third woman in history to receive the prestigious honour.

Dr. Strickland was recognized for her breakthrough work on chirped pulse amplification in lasers, allowing for the development technology used for eye-laser surgery, within laser printers, and scanners sold in retail stores.

Strickland conducted her Nobel-winning research while a PhD student under French laser physicist Gérard Mourou in 1989 while attending the University of Rochester in New York.