PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Bahaa E. A. Saleh

Also known as B E A Saleh, B Saleh, B. E. A. SALEH, B. E. A. Saleh, B. Saleh

Bahaa E. A. Saleh is an optics researcher whose entangled-photon work brings image processing into quantum imaging, connecting his photonics research to AI's visual domain. After earning degrees at Cairo University and Johns Hopkins, he held faculty and chair posts at Wisconsin-Madison and Boston University, then led CREOL at UCF as dean from 2009 to 2019. His papers and books range from a 2001 study of entangled-photon image processing to a 2011 subsurface-imaging text and a 2025 photonic-quantum-information textbook; he received Optica's 2013 Mees Medal and is a Distinguished Professor of Optics and Photonics at CREOL.

Born
1944
Works
688
Citations
17,602
h-index
62
Badges

Years link to their sources. Publication numbers from OpenAlex, as of 22 October 2026.

Timeline

  1. 1966–1971

    Electrical engineering degrees

    He earns a B.S. in electrical engineering at Cairo University in 1966 and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering at Johns Hopkins University in 1971.

  2. 1977–1994

    Wisconsin faculty and chair

    He joins the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering faculty in 1977 and chairs the department from 1990 to 1994.

  3. 1994–2008

    Boston ECE chair

    He joins Boston University's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering faculty in 1994, chairs the department from 1994 to 2007, and remains on its faculty through 2008.

  4. 2001–2002

    Entangled-photon Fourier optics

    In 2001, he coauthors “Entangled-photon Fourier optics” with Ayman F. Abouraddy, Alexander V. Sergienko and Malvin C. Teich; the paper appears in JOSA B in 2002. Its abstract examines imaging and image-processing configurations using entangled photons.

  5. 2009–2019

    CREOL dean and subsurface imaging

    In January 2009, he becomes UCF Distinguished Professor of Optics and Photonics at CREOL and its dean. He serves as dean through December 2019 and edits Introduction to Subsurface Imaging, published in 2011, which covers subsurface sensing and imaging methods.

  6. 2013

    The C.E.K. Mees Medal

    He receives Optica's 2013 C.E.K. Mees Medal for lifelong multidisciplinary contributions to statistical optics, quantum optics and image science.

  7. 2025

    A quantum photonics textbook

    In June 2025, he publishes Quantum Photonics: Bimodes, Qubits, and Biphotons. The book introduces photonic quantum information and explores quantum computing, secure communication, quantum sensing and imaging.

  8. Since 2009

    UCF Distinguished Professor

    He joins CREOL as a Distinguished Professor of Optics and Photonics in January 2009 and continues in that role.

Career

  1. Since 2009University of Central FloridaDean, Distinguished Professor of Optics and Photonics
  2. 1994–2008Boston UniversityFaculty, Chair
  3. 1988–1990University of Wisconsin System
  4. 1981–1995Columbia University
  5. 1977–1994University of Wisconsin–MadisonFaculty, Chair
  6. 1974–1977Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences

Education

  1. 1971Johns Hopkins UniversityPh.D.
  2. 1966Cairo UniversityB.S.

From the biography and OpenAlex affiliations (the years of papers that list the organization), so some years are approximate.

  1. More people shaping AI studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology than at any other institutionIncludes University of Central Florida. We estimate where the people shaping AI studied and where their careers led. Massachusetts Institute of Technology leads with 467 former students, including 291 recorded doctorates.
  2. The company share of AI researchers’ top papers was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974Includes University of Central Florida. We estimate where the people shaping AI worked when their most-cited papers appeared: the company share was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974, and Google led all organizations in 2020–2024.
  3. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology trained or employed 44 of the 187 AI major-prize winners, more than any other universityIncludes University of Central Florida. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology trained or employed 44 of the 187 AI major-prize winners, more than any other university. We compare doctorate and 5+ year employment links, career timing and current workplaces for 187 major-prize and 1,111 best-paper winners.
  4. The median h-index is 48 at universities and 14 at frontier AI labsIncludes Columbia University. The median h-index is 48 at universities and 14 at frontier AI labs. We compare publishing careers, recent citations, dual appointments and job moves across 2,420 university researchers and 308 frontier-lab researchers.

Colleagues

People with dated positions at the same organization in the same years.

Sources and credits

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  1. Bahaa E. A. Saleh – CREOL, The College of Optics and Photonics creol.ucf.edu. Checked 20 October 2026.
  2. [quant-ph/0111054] Entangled-photon Fourier optics arxiv.org. Checked 20 October 2026.
  3. Introduction to Subsurface Imaging cambridge.org. Checked 20 October 2026.
  4. C.E.K. Mees Medal | Optica optica.org. Checked 20 October 2026.
  5. CREOL Emeritus Dean Publishes Book on Quantum Photonics creol.ucf.edu. Checked 20 October 2026.