David Richardson Medal

History and Funding
Learn more about the medal and its establishment
Nomination Guide
Information and deadlines for nominations
Selection Committee
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David Richardson Medal

Recognizes those who have made significant contributions to optical engineering, primarily in the commercial and industrial sector.

The medal was established in 1966 to honor David Richardson’s unique contributions to applied optics. It is endowed by Cary Instruments (formerly Applied Physics Corporation) and Gary Duck.

Winners

2021

Majid Ebrahim-Zadeh

For contributions to the advancement of nonlinear optical technology and commercial development of cutting-edge optical parametric oscillators

2020

G. Michael Morris

For contributions to the commercial development of diffractive and beam shaping optics, along with significant achievements in entrepreneurship, the founding and development of two highly successful companies, and ongoing support of education in optical engineering

2019

Frederick J Leonberger

For innovative development, technical leadership and commercialization of guided wave photonic components, especially integrated optical modulators, that have had major applications in fiber optic communications, CATV, and sensing

2018

Steve Frisken

For seminal contributions as a researcher, inventor and entrepreneur, to a wide range of photonic technologies which have enabled the growth of the internet, and for inspiring an entrepreneurial culture amongst Australian researchers

2017

John Canning

For seminal scientific and engineering contributions in fundamental and applied photonics across materials, devices, systems and instrumentation, and for translating these into industry

2016

Francisco J Duarte

For seminal contributions to the physics and technology of multiple-prism arrays for narrow-linewidth tunable laser oscillators and laser pulse compression

2015

Daniel R Neal

For innovative technical leadership in the design, fabrication, and commercialization of wavefront sensing devices

2014

Jannick P Rolland

For visionary contributions and leadership in optical design and engineering, enabling noninvasive, optical biopsy

2012

Gregory W. Forbes

For seminal contributions in the areas of aberration theory, asymmetric optical system design, and manufacturing for aspheres

2011

Jasbinder S. Sanghera

For pioneering work leading to the development of infrared fiber and transparent ceramics

2011

Ishwar D. Aggarwal

For pioneering work leading to the development of infrared fiber and transparent ceramics

2010

Kenneth E. Moore

For the development of state-of-the-art optical design and analysis software combining the capabilities required by the expert designer and the ease of use and accessibility needed for an occasional optics analysis user

2009

Eric Udd

For developments associated with fiber optic sensor technology including measurement of rotation, acoustics, pressure, temperature, and strain as well as contributions to the field of fiber optic smart structures

2008

Kanti Jain

For pioneering contributions to the development of high-resolution optical microlithography technologies, especially for the invention and development of excimer laser lithography and systems for production of microelectronic devices

2007

James L Fergason *

For outstanding contributions to the understanding of the physics and optics of liquid crystals, and particularly to his pioneering contributions to liquid crystal display technology

2006

Gary S Duck

For innovation and leadership in the development and manufacture of optical components and instrumentation for the realization of practical and reliable wavelength-division-multiplexed optical fiber telecommunications systems

2005

John R. Sandercock

For pioneering work in developing the multi-pass Tandem Fabry-Perot Spectrometer and for contributions to the Brillouin spectroscopy of surfaces, interfaces, and thin films

2004

Chungte W. Chen

For remarkable achievements in applying diffractive optical elements to the design of classical and conformal optical systems to obtain wide fields of view along with excellent aberration correction

2003

Roland V. Shack

For numerous contributions to optical engineering, including the invention of the Shack-Hartmann sensor and the Shack cube interferometer

2002

Arthur H. Guenther *

For pioneering contributions and continued leadership in the study of laser-induced damage of optical materials, and for exemplary guidance in enabling the infrastructure for technical optics development

2001

Huib Visser

For innovative designs of complex optical space instrumentation which have given fresh impulses to the application of geometrical optics integrated with sound thermo-mechanical design

2000

Achim J. Leistner

For the development of novel optical fabrication techniques and the design improvement of optical test equipment. By refining the Teflon lap polishing technique and performing research into the mechanism of optical polishing, he has improved the quality and precision of superpolished optical surfaces, pushing the accuracy of shapes and surface roughness down to nearly atomic dimensions

1999

Milan R Kokta

For the development of low loss, high optical quality laser crystals, particularly Ti-doped sapphire

1998

Yoshiharu Namba

In recognition of his significant contributions to the development of novel but practical techniques, specifically float polishing and ultraprecision grinding, for producing super smooth surfaces on optical materials

1997

Brian H. Welham

For having provided technical leadership in pioneering the development and commercialization of aspheric lens technology. His efforts have led to methods of mass manufacture and assembly of hybrid glass-plastic lens systems that have made possible the growth of the projection television industry

1996

J. A. Dobrowolski *

For contributions to the invention and development of optical thin film security coatings for the protection of documents and paper currency

1995

Julian Stone

For leadership in the advancement of lightwave component and optical measurement techniques

1994

David A. Markle

For his leadership in the development of several generations of 1X projection systems for photolithography

1993

John H. Bruning

For the development and implementation of phase shifting interferometry and contributions to projection lithography

1992

Ichiro Kitano

For his invention of the radial gradient-index lens array and its application to photocopiers, facsimile scanners, and printers

1991

Gary K Starkweather *

For contributions to the technology of laser xerography printing and to the realization of practical laser printers

1990

Jean M. Bennett *

For her sustained contributions to the studies of optical surfaces that have provided the optics community with a more thorough understanding of optical surface phenomenology and a meticulous methodology for surface characterization

1989

Erik W. Anthon *

For his creative solutions to difficult technical problems evidenced by photometers, scatterometers, and interferometers that have significantly advanced the state of the art of optical instrumentation

1988

Janusz S. Wilczynski

For contributions to the design and utilization of optics suitable for the manufacturing of semiconductors

1987

John W. Evans

For a lifetime of constant devotion to the advancement of technical optics through an understanding of optical principles and the creative application of these principles to novel and original designs of optical instrumentation

1986

John L. Plummer

For your contributions to the advancement of the state of the art of optical fabrication by invention, by imagination, by example, and by generously sharing your talents with others in the field

1985

Norman John Brown *

For extensive pioneering work, both experimental and theoretical, on the mechanisms of optical polishing

1984

Erwin G. Loewen *

For his many contributions to the science, technology, and applications of both conventional and holographic diffraction gratings and for his documentation of progress of this field in the scientific and engineering literature

1983

Harold Osterberg

For a career spanning 40 years of research in physical optics, particularly his contributions to the development of the phase microscope and his seminal contributions to integrated optics

1982

Charles A Burrus

In recognition of his development of ingenious laboratory techniques to fabricate microscopic devices such as millimeter-wave diodes, infrared semiconductor lasers, light-emitting diodes and detectors, and single-crystal fiber and film lasers

1981

Abe Offner

No formal citation, refer to Optics News 1981/Vol.7, No.1/Page 33.

1980

Richard F. Weeks

For his outstanding program leadership and innovative optical design, his fundamental studies and creative tooling that made possible the accurate and economical high-volume manufacture of the unusual optical system of the SX-70 camera

1980

William T. Plummer

1979

William P. Ewald

For his numerous contributions to applied optics, particularly to the fields of projection and stereoscopy, as well as his inspired service as a teacher and consultant both within the Eastman Kodak Company and to the optics community in general

1978

Thomas James Johnson

For his notable contributions to applied optics through the design and manufacture of high-quality, low-cost Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes

1977