JOSA A has a history of publishing articles on topics spanning the scope of the Journal that highlight research from a particular part of the world. Looking back to 1917, in the fourth issue of the first volume of the Journal’s predecessor, Journal of the Optical Society of America, beginning on page 134 there appeared an article called “Applied Optics Abroad” [1]. It focused on two countries: France and the UK. Thus began a tradition at OSA of turning a spotlight on regional efforts to support our discipline. We have revived and expanded that idea to add new place-based feature issues, starting with Classical Optics in France in 2019 [2] and continuing with Optics in Africa in 2020, a joint effort with JOSA B [3]. I could not be more pleased with these features and want to express my sincere gratitude for the work of everyone involved. Looking for the JOSA A feature issue focused on your part of the world? We’re working on it. Just be ready to support the effort with papers, reviews, or service as a guest editor. We’re counting on you.

Angela Dudley from the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, served as one of the guest editors for the feature on Optics in Africa, contributed papers, and recruited great authors from around the continent. I am pleased to announce that she has now been appointed as a Topical Editor for the Journal. Angela will cover submissions in the area of structured light and singular optics. Her perspective will be a great benefit to us all and I look forward to great papers in these areas.

Angela Dudley

Structured Light and Singular Optics

Angela Dudley received her M.Sc. in Physics from the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa and in 2008 joined the CSIR’s National Laser Centre, South Africa, on a Ph.D. studentship. Her Ph.D. research involved measurement techniques for optical fields carrying orbital angular momentum. In 2012 she commenced a Postdoctoral Fellowship followed by a Senior Researcher position at the CSIR’s National Laser Centre. After 10 years at the CSIR, Angela joined the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, where she is currently a Lecturer in the Physics department and a research group member in the Structured Light Lab. Her research interests include the creation and measurement of structured light, digital holography, optical angular momentum, and vector vortex and non-diffracting beams. Her research has resulted in 32 peer-reviewed journal articles, more than 30 international conference proceedings, and one international patent. Angela is a member of The Optical Society and served on the OSA’s Membership, Engagement and Development Council from 2013 until 2018.