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18 September 2007
OSA Elects 2008 Vice President, James C. Wyant
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Lyndsay Meyer
The Optical Society
+1.202.416.1435
lmeyer@osa.org
OSA Elects 2008 Vice President, James C. Wyant
Election Also Establishes Three New Directors-at-Large
SAN JOSE, Calif., Sept. 18 – The Optical Society of America (OSA) is pleased to announce that its members have elected James C. Wyant, dean of the College of Optical Sciences at the University of Arizona, as its 2008 vice president. During this year’s vote Alexander Gaeta, Cornell University, USA; Masataka Nakazawa, Tohoku University, Japan; and David Welch, Infinera, USA were also elected as new directors-at-large.
By accepting the vice presidency, Wyant makes a four-year commitment to OSA’s Board of Directors. As vice president, Wyant will automatically become president-elect in 2009 and then the society's president in 2010. The new directors-at-large will hold their positions for three years.
“Jim Wyant is an integral member of the optics community and has been an active volunteer with OSA throughout his prestigious career,” said Elizabeth Rogan, OSA’s executive director. “His contributions have helped drive the society to where it is today. The OSA Board and leadership share his entrepreneurial spirit and we look forward to working together."
Wyant has been an OSA member since 1966 and is a fellow of the organization. With a breadth of experience in volunteer roles at OSA, he has been an active participant in the society's programs over the years. Currently serving as the editor-in-chief of Applied Optics, Wyant has held numerous oversight positions for OSA publications: he served on the Optics Letters Advisory Panel, acted as associate and topical editors for both JOSA and Applied Optics and completed a term as an associate editor of Optics Express. He also has had significant experience with the society's leadership, awards and prominent meetings, having already been a member of the OSA Board of Directors and its Executive Committee, a chair of the society's Long Range Planning Committee, the chair of the Fraunhofer Award Committee and a member of the CLEO Optical Metrology Committee, among numerous other positions.
Professionally, Wyant directs the school of optics at the University of Arizona. He is the author of more than 300 written publications and invited talks on interferometry, holography and optical testing and he has been the major advisor of 31 graduated Ph.D. students and 23 M.S. students.
In addition to his academic leadership, Wyant is known as an entrepreneur in the field. He has significant expertise in launching and growing industry corporations, having co-founded WYKO Corporation, 4D Technology and DMetrix. Wyant has been a member of the board of directors for several organizations, including WYKO, ILX Lightwave, Veeco Instruments, Optics 1, DMetrix and 4D Technology. His business acumen has earned him industry accolades, including the University of Arizona College of Business and Public Administration Entrepreneurial Fellowship, Arizona’s “Innovator of the Year” Product Award, the Tom Brown Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award and the University of Arizona Technology Innovation Award.
A member of the National Academy of Engineering, Wyant also has been recognized for his technical work with prominent awards, including the OSA Joseph Fraunhofer Award, SPIE Gold Medal and the SPIE Technology Achievement Award. He is a five-time recipient of R&D Magazine's R&D 100 Award, as well as a five-time recipient of Laurin Publishing's Photonics Circle of Excellence Award for optical products. He also was honored by the University of Rochester College of Engineering as a distinguished alumnus.
Along with Wyant, the new directors-at-large, Gaeta, Nakazawa and Welch, will begin their terms on Jan. 1, 2008, replacing three outgoing members of the Board of Directors.
“Each year, our elections serve as an opportunity for our members to voice their opinions and elect their leadership,” said Rogan. “The newly elected vice president and directors will join an extremely active and dedicated Board. We thank all of the candidates who took the time and effort to run for office, thank the overwhelming number of members who participated in the election and welcome our new board members.”
About OSA
Uniting more than 70,000 professionals from 134 countries, the Optical Society of America (OSA) brings together the global optics community through its programs and initiatives. Since 1916 OSA has worked to advance the common interests of the field, providing educational resources to the scientists, engineers and business leaders who work in the field by promoting the science of light and the advanced technologies made possible by optics and photonics. OSA publications, events, technical groups and programs foster optics knowledge and scientific collaboration among all those with an interest in optics and photonics. For more information, visit www.osa.org.
