Nick Holonyak Jr., John Bardeen's first graduate student at Illinois, invented the first practical Light-Emitting Diode (LED) at General Electric before returning in 1963 to Illinois as a faculty member. In 1977, Holonyak and his students demonstrated the first quantum-well laser, which enabled such advances as fiber optic communications, compact disc players, and new techniques in medical diagnosis and surgery. His awards include the national medals of science and technology, the Japan prize, the Russian Global Energy prize, and the Lemelson-MIT Prize.