Former UAH professor and researcher Dr. Mustafa Abushagur was recently awarded the Robert E. Hopkins Leadership Award from the Optical Society of America (OSA). Each year, the Hopkins Award recognizes an individual or group that has had a significant impact on the global optics and photonics community, or has influenced society as a whole stemming from non-research-oriented activities. Abushagur was recognized for his “leadership in education and entrepreneurship, which led to the establishment of important programs, institutions, and companies devoted to developing optics in the United States, Middle East and North Africa.”