Andrew Forbes is a Distinguished Professor in the School of Physics at the University of the Witwatersrand. He holds a BSc, BScHons, MSc and PhD from the University of Natal. Forbes established the Structured Light Laboratory at Wits in 2015, where his research focuses on structured light in classical and quantum regimes, including laser beam shaping, orbital angular momentum and novel laser development. His career path included roles in industry and applied research prior to joining academia.
Forbes has received numerous honours, including the Harry Oppenheimer Fellowship Award, NSTF Award, NRF A-rating (twice), the Georg Forster Prize from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, the SAIP Gold Medal and the Vice-Chancellor’s Research Award at Wits. He is a Fellow of Optica, SPIE and the South African Institute of Physics, an elected member of the Academy of Science of South Africa, and serves as Editor-in-Chief of APL Photonics. Forbes directs the South African Quantum Technology Initiative and has contributed to editorial boards of international journals in optics and photonics.