Benjamin Wetzel

Principal Investigator - Brief CV

Since January 2019: CNRS Research Fellow (Chargé de Recherche), Xlim Research Institute, CNRS UMR 7252 (Limoges, France)
Feb. 2018 – Jan. 2019: Helena Normanton Research Fellow, promoted Research Fellow B (March 2018), University of Sussex (Brighton, UK)
Feb. 2017 – Jan. 2018: Marie-Curie Research Fellow - IOF return phase, University of Sussex (Brighton, UK)
Feb. 2015 – Jan. 2017: Marie-Curie Research Fellow - IOF outgoing phase, INRS (Montréal, Canada)
Jan. 2014 – Jan. 2015: Postdoctoral Research Fellow, INRS (Montréal, Canada)
Jan. 2013 – Dec. 2013: CNRS Research Engineer (IR), CNRS / FEMTO-ST Institute (Besançon, France)
Oct. 2012 – Dec. 2012: CNRS Study Engineer (IE), CNRS / FEMTO-ST Institute (Besançon, France)
Oct. 2009 – Sep. 2012: PhD. Student, University of Franche-Comté (Besançon, France)
Feb. 2009 – Aug. 2009: Research Intern, Tyndall National Institute (Cork, Ireland)

2012: PhD in Photonics (University of Franche-Comté, Besançon, France)

- Thesis "Numerical & experimental study of nonlinear instabilities and optical rogue waves" defended in Dec. 2012
- Supervisors: Prof. John M. Dudley, Prof. Laurent Larger
- PhD. awarded in 2013 - Highest Honours

2009: Master Degree in Optics (University of Franche-Comté, Besançon, France)

- Master PICS (Physique, Informations, Communications & Systèmes) - Highest Honours
- Research Internship held at Tyndall National Institute (Cork, Ireland)

2007: Bachelor Degree in Physics (University of Franche-Comté, Besançon, France)

- 3rd year degree spent in Erasmus Program (Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain)

Supervision:

- Formal supervision of 1 PostDoc, 3 PhD students, 2 Master students, 6 Undergraduate students.
- Additional tutoring of several Postdoctoral Fellows and PhD / Master students.
- Supervised students jointly awarded “2014 Co-op Student of the Year” from Carleton University (Canada).

Teaching:

- 2014 - 2015: Lecture on Nonlinear guided optics and ultrafast pulse characterization, INRS (Montréal, Canada)
- 2013: Higher-Education French Teaching Qualification - CNU sections 30 and 63.
- 2011, 2012: Electronics & General Optics, ENSMM Engineering Institute (Besançon, France) – 64 h./year
- 2011: Mathematics for Physicists, University of Franche-Comté (Besançon, France) – 18 h.
- 2010: General Physics, University Technological Institute - IUT (Besançon, France) – 64 h.

2021: Senior Member of The Optical Society (OSA) / OPTICA.
2020: ERC Starting Grant Laureate (E.U.).
2018 - 2020: Helena Normanton International Fellowship (University of Sussex, UK) ; 2 awarded since 2017, rescinded in 2019.
2017: Market research and Commercialisation support, Sussex Innovation Centre (University of Sussex, UK).
2015 - 2018: Marie-Curie International Outgoing Fellowship – FP7 Program, IOF (European Commission) ; INCIPIT Project awarded in 2013.
2013: “Young Doctor Prize” finalist (University of Franche-Comté, France).
2013: ANR “Multidisciplinary Research Prize”, as MANUREVA Project member (Paris, France).
2012: Best Student Presentation Award, European Optical Society Annual Meeting (Aberdeen, UK).
2011: Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS) Travel Grant (Adelaide, Australia).
2011: University of Franche-Comté Travel Grant (Tampere, Finland).
2010: SPIM Doctoral School Travel Grant (Moscow, Russia).

Memberships:

Senior Member of OPTICA / The Optical Society (OSA) since 2021 (OSA Member since 2009).
Member of La Société Française d’Optique (SFO) since 2019.
Member of IEEE + IEEE Photonics Society since 2023.
OPTICA (Formerly OSA) Student Chapter Faculty Advisor since 2022 (LimOSA Section at Xlim/University of Limoges ).
Former OSA Student Chapter Officer in Besançon (2010-2013: Vice-President, Secretary).

Reviewing & Evaluation:

Scientific Reviewer for several journals edited by Nature Publishing Group (NPG), The Optical Society (OSA), The American Physical Society (APS), The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and De Gruyter, including Nature Photonics, Nature Communications, Light: Science & Applications, Physical Review Letters, Nanophotonics, Nature Scientific Reports, Physical Review A, Optics Letters, Optics Express, Journal of Lightwave Technology, Journal of the Optical Society of America-B, etc.
Project Evaluator for the French National Research Agency (ANR, France), Israel Science Fundation (Israel), Ministry of Business Innovation & Employment (MBIE, New-Zealand).
Additional academic evaluation tasks (e.g. in 2019: Master iXeo final year projects evaluator, Jury member of Xlim PhD Students' Workshop, etc.).

Organisation of Scientific Meetings:

2018, 2020, 2022 Topical Chair (Nonlinear and quantum integrated optics), International Conference on Laser Optics (ICLO - Saint Petersburg, Russia), IEEE sponsored; 1000+ attendees.
2021: Session Chair, Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Europe (CLEO/Europe - EQEC - Munich, Germany - Online) OSA/IEEE, 4600+ attendees.
2016: Session Chair, Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics (CLEO/QELS - San Jose, USA) OSA/IEEE, 4600+ attendees.
2016: Session Chair, Frontiers in Optics (FiO - Rochester, USA) OSA/APS, 1500+ attendees.
2016: Committee Member, Photonics North (Québec City, Canada) IEEE, 600+ attendees.
2010, 2011: Launch, organization and hosting of the “Photonics Days”, a two-day international conference on Photonics with >80 international students and renowned invited professors (Besançon, France).

Other:

Since 2019: Committee member of Xlim International Cell (CIX), Photonics Department’s referent (Xlim, Limoges).
Since 2010: Strong involvement in several outreach activities including the LaserFest (2010: two-day event with public lectures, ray-optics alignment activities etc. for the 50-year laser anniversary), University Open Days (2010, 2011), Master's Night (2010, 2011), Science Festival (2010 - 2012), Marie-Curie Ambassador (2015-2018: various outreach activities at INRS/University of Sussex), European Researchers’ Night (2019), IMAGINEX Project (2019), etc...