"I've dedicated my career to furthering the field of optical communications and networks, so it is a great honor to receive this recognition from the largest technical professional society not only in this field, but in the world,” said Djordjevic, who has a joint appointment in optical sciences and has been teaching at the University of Arizona since 2004.

He serves as a senior editor and member of the editorial board of the OSA/IEEE Journal of Optical Communications and Networking; the IOP Journal of Optics; IEEE Communications Letters; the Elsevier Physical Communication Journal, or PHYCOM; Optical and Quantum Electronics; and Frequenz. He is the author or co-author of seven books, eight book chapters, and more than 520 journal and conference publications. He also holds 51 patents.

“He is an exceptionally creative and productive researcher in the area of optical communications and coding theory for optical communication systems,” said Raymond Kostuk, a professor of electrical and computer engineering and optical sciences who has known Djordjevic for 15 years.

Djordjevic found his way to the field of electrical and computer engineering because he enjoyed combining the fields of math, engineering and natural sciences such as physics. He feels especially at home in a university environment, which provides him freedom to pursue his research interests.

“With his impressive number of patents, publications and research awards, Ivan is exceptional in multiple areas, and well-deserving of this award,” said Tamal Bose, ECE department head. “We are proud to call him a member of the department.”

Djordjevic’s research areas include optical communications and networks, error control coding and quantum information processing. His current work aims to extend data rates using existing infrastructure and create more secure communication channels.

His research has received more than $6 million in funding from organizations including the Office of Naval Research, the Army Research Office and the National Science Foundation. He was a 2010 recipient of the NSF Career Award, the organization’s most prestigious award in support of early-career faculty.

Djordjevic is also a fellow of The Optical Society, or OSA, an honor reserved for no more than 10% of the society’s total membership. In 2014, he received the 1885 Distinguished Scholar Award -- now called the UA Distinguished Scholar Award -- the university’s top honor for mid-career faculty members.