Delfyett, a professor of optics and university trustee chair at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, continues to expand his curiosity by working with lasers that could serve as the backbone of future telecommunication networks.
His circuitous route took him through numerous low-paying jobs to community college, a bachelor's degree at the University of Washington, and--eventually--to graduate school at Harvard.
"I was offered the two [jobs] because, I think, I gained a lot in maturity; it is what they look for when they say 'you have to go abroad'," says Khodri.