He served as a topical editor for the Journal of the Optical Society of America (OSA) and Applied Optics and as a member of the OSA Publications Council.  

His honors include the 2005 GG Stokes Award of SPIE; International Society for Optical Engineering; 1993 Photonics Circle of Excellence Award; 1993 R and D Award; 1988 Outstanding American Inventor; and a fellow of the Optical Society of America and SPIE.

While Azzam made significant advances in his field, his family said he will be most remembered by those who knew him as a man of principle, faith, generosity and humor.