Optical consulting firm Optical Innovations Co. has appointed James Horwitz as its chief engineer. Horwitz, a physics graduate of New York University, brings more than 20 years of experience in the design, analysis and testing of optoelectronic systems to his new position. In his new role, he will be responsible for leading projects involving lens design, optomechanical design, and the building of custom lenses and optical instruments. Prior to joining Optical Innovations, Horwitz worked on the design of optical instruments for use in space at Raytheon Co., and on the design and testing of optics for a commercially available spectrophotometer at Mettler Toledo.