2006 SPIE Award Recipients

Each year SPIE recognizes outstanding achievements through its awards program. The Awards Committee is pleased to announce the 2006 SPIE award recipients.

The Gold Medal is the highest honor that the Society bestows. It is awarded annually in recognition of outstanding engineering or scientific accomplishments in optics, electro-optics, or photographic technologies or applications. To receive the award, the recipient must have made an exceptional contribution to the advancement of relevant technology.

This year the Gold Medal is presented to Duncan T. Moore, University of Rochester, USA, for his numerous contributions and innovative research in optical engineering as well as his significant contributions in the field of gradient index systems.

The George W. Goddard Award is given annually in recognition of exceptional achievement in optical or photonic instrumentation for aerospace, atmospheric science, or astronomy. The award is for the invention and development of a new technique, photonic instrumentation, instrument, or system.

Martin C. Weisskopf, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, USA, is the 2006 George W. Goddard Award recipient for his vital contributions to the Chandra X-ray Observatory.

The A.E. Conrady Award is given annually in recognition of exceptional contributions in design, construction, and testing of optical systems and instrumentation. The recognition of this award is based on developments of new equipment, techniques, and applications for designing, testing, analyzing, and/or evaluating optical systems, components, and theories.

Virendra N. Mahajan, Aerospace Corporation, USA, is this year's A.E. Conrady Award recipient for his innovative contributions to optical imaging and aberrations.

The Harold E. Edgerton Award recognizes outstanding contributions to optical or photonic techniques in the application and understanding of high-speed physical phenomena.The development of new technologies and the new application of existing technologies are considered in the determination of the award.

Takeharu Goji Etoh, Kinki University, Japan, is the 2006 Harold E. Edgerton award recipient for his significant contributions to the development and reduction to practice of the ultra-high-speed digital camera.

The SPIE Educator Award is given in recognition of outstanding contributions to optics education by an SPIE instructor or an educator in the field.

James M. Palmer, University of Arizona, USA, is the 2006 SPIE Educator Award recipient for his substantial and sustained contributions to education in the critical area of radiometry.

The Frits Zernike Award for Microlithography is given for outstanding accomplishments in microlithographic technology, especially those furthering the development ofsemiconductorlithographic imaging solutions.

Timothy A. Brunner, IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Ctr., USA, is the recipient of the 2006 Frits Zernike Award for Microlithography for significant achievements to the fields of microlithography and optical lithography.

The Dennis Gabor Award is presented annually in recognition of outstanding inventive accomplishments in electro-optical systems, especially those that further the development of holographic imaging and metrology applications.

Demetri Psaltis, California Institute of Technology, USA, is the recipient of the 2006 Dennis Gabor Award for his outstanding contributions and novel applications of holography in information processing.

The G.G. Stokes Award is given for exceptional contribution to the field of optical polarization. It may be presented for a specific achievement, development, or invention of significant importance to optical science and society, and may be given for lifetime achievement.

Kazuhiko Oka, Hokkaido University, Japan, is the 2006 G. G. Stokes Award recipient for his revolutionary techniques in polarization research and accomplishments in encoding Stokes parameters on spectral and spatial frequencies.

The SPIE Technology Achievement Award recognizes outstanding accomplishments in optical, electro-optical, or photonic engineering technology. The recipient shall have contributed significantly to the advancement of these technologies with a specific demonstration of optical technology in a new system or application and its reduction to practice.

This year the SPIE Technology Achievement Award is presented to Jean-Louis de Bougrenet de la Tocnaye, GET-Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Télécommunications Bretagne, France, for his pioneering contributions to liquid crystal technology in telecommunications systems and in optics.