SPIE Announces Officers for 2008

President Kevin G. Harding was one of the new officers and directors announced at SPIE's annual meeting, Aug. 28 in San Diego, Calif., whose terms will begin Jan. 1, 2008. Harding, a 25-year optics industry veteran, is senior researcher and project leader at the General Electric Global Research Center. He has published over 100 papers in the area of optical inspection and measurement technology and received 24 patents. Harding has served as conference chair or cochair for 15 SPIE conferences on machine-vision optics, 3-D imaging, laser sensors, and optomechanical technology. Maria J. Yzuel, a professor with the Department of Physics, Group of Optics, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona (UAB), Spain, was named president-elect. Yzuel has published more than 200 scientific papers, made more than 200 regular contributions in scientific conferences and supervised 20 PhD theses. Ralph B. James, associate lab director at Brookhaven National Laboratory, was elected vice president. He has published over 400 journal articles, conference proceedings, book chapters and invited review papers, has 10 patents, and is the editor of 11 books on sensors, spectroscopy and imaging. Serving as secretary/treasurer will be Brian A. Lula, president and CEO of PI (Physik Instrumente) LP. Lula is a CCD astronomical imager/educator whose photographs were featured in a personal exhibit at the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum in Washington. Elected to three-year (2008-10) terms as society directors were: Marta de la Fuente, group manager, Optical Design Group, Indra Systems; Fernando Mendoza Santoyo, general director, Ctr de Investigaciones en Óptica; Kathleen M. Perkins, CEO, Breault Research Organization; and David V. Wick, optical engineer, Sandia National Labs. Appointed to a three-year term was Ray O. Johnson, chief technology officer, Lockheed Martin; Harry J. Levinson, manager, Strategic Lithography Technology, Advanced Micro Devices, was appointed to a one-year term.