Jonathan Friedman, Ph.D.
Tell us about what you're doing with your life
I am a professor at the Universidad Ana G. Mendez in Puerto Rico, although I am currently assigned to the National Science Foundation where I am working as a Program Director. At the university, I founded the Puerto Rico Photonics Institute, and I conduct research in optical remote sensing while teaching courses in optics, photonics, physics, and mathematics. I recently published a book as co-author with C.-Y. She, entitled Atmospheric Lidar Fundamentals: Laser Light Scattering from Atoms and Simple Molecules. I am currently working on a popular science book about how light teaches about the universe we live in.
What is your favorite memory of your time at Cornell?
Summer 1983, the only summer I spent at Cornell.
Which Cornell classmates do you keep in touch with?
Ira Schulman, John Toohey, Alan Baren, Hank Dudek, Luis Rojas, Neil Weissman. Others infrequently.
How has your time at Cornell influenced you since you graduated?
When I moved to Puerto Rico in 1992 to work at the Arecibo Observatory, the Cornell Club of Puerto Rico provided me with a lot of support and a community. In my 30 years there, it has been supportive of my activities and career.
If you could change anything about your Cornell experience, what would it be?
I would be involved in a student club or organization that would provide me with connections and opportunities that would help me in the future.