Dr. William R. Donaldson attended Carnegie-Mellon University and received a BS in Physics and Mathematics with University Honors in 1976. In 1984 he received his PhD from Cornell University in Electrical Engineering Department in 1984 on the use of organic crystals for an optical parametric oscillator. After graduating in 1984, he joined the Laboratory for Laser Energetics at the University of Rochester as a Research Associate. In 1986 he was promoted to Staff Scientist. He was appointed to the faculty of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department in January 2009. His research interests have included the physics of photoconductive switches, streak-camera development, the optical response of high temperature superconductors, optical semiconductor diagnostics, electro-optic characterization of electronic circuits and the florescence of biological molecules. Dr. Donaldson is a member of the American Physical Society, the Optical Society of America and the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers. He holds four patents and has published several scientific papers.

Research Overview

Research Interests

• physics of photoconductive switches
• streak-camera development
• he optical response of high temperature superconductors
• optical semiconductor diagnostics,
• florescence of biological molecules