ORC Director Professor Sir David Payne listed in Debrett's 500 2016

Professor Sir David Payne, Director of the Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC) at the University of Southampton, has been listed in the Debrett's top 500 most influential people in Britain.

Announced on Sunday 24th January 2016 in The Sunday Times, the Debrett’s 500 recognises the most influential and inspiring people living and working in Britain today. "It acknowledges power, talent, hard work, brilliance, originality, persistence, courage and, occasionally, luck: in short, achievement," the newspaper reports.

Sir David, listed in Debrett's for the second year running, has been described as "a colossus in the science behind internet development" and listed among physicists and engineers such as: Dame Ann Dowling, president of the Royal Academy of Engineering, honored for her services to science in 2007, Professor Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell DBE, Astrophysicist and president of the Royal Society; Bob Joyce, engineering director, Jaguar Land Rover and Sir James Dyson, designer of the dual cyclone bagless vacuum cleaner who rejected 5,127 prototypes before he achieved success.

Professor Payne said, "I am very happy to hear I have been listed in the Debrett's 500 2016. It is an honour to be recognised and listed alongside such inspirational people." 

He has made many key contributions in optical fiber communications and laser technology. His work in fiber fabrication in the 1970s resulted in most of the special fibers used today, including the revolutionary erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA), which powers the internet, and kilowatt-class fiber lasers for manufacturing and defense.

Professor Payne has received numerous accolades throughout his career, including a knighthood in 2014 for services to Photonics Research and Applications. He is a Fellow of the UK Royal Society, the UK Royal Academy of Engineering, the Optical Society of America, the UK IET, the UK IoP and Chairman of the Marconi Society.