Kathleen Richardson, professor of optics and materials science and engineering at the University of Central Florida, is one of two recipients of the 2026 Otto Schott Research Award. Presented biennially by the SCHOTT Group and the Ernst Abbe Fund, the award recognizes outstanding contributions to research and technology in glass, glass-ceramics, and advanced materials.
Dr. Richardson’s research focuses on how precisely engineered compositions can control and transmit light. Her work has provided key insights into the development of optical glass and materials used in aerospace, electronics, energy production, and medical technologies.
At UCF, Dr. Richardson serves as a Trustee Chair, the Pegasus Professor of Optics and Materials Science and Engineering, and the Florida Photonics Center of Excellence Professor at the university’s Center for Research and Education in Optics and Lasers and the College of Optics and Photonics. She also directs the Glass Processing and Characterization Laboratory.
Dr. Richardson earned her bachelor’s degree in ceramic engineering and her master’s and doctoral degrees in glass science from Alfred University in New York. She has been a UCF faculty member for more than two decades.