BELLINGHAM, Washington, USA - 4 May 2009 - The 2009 SPIE election for Officers and Board of Directors will open 1 June and close 22 July. Qualified Society Members will soon receive instructions on how to vote electronically via email. A paper ballot will be mailed to those Members without email access.

The 2009 slate includes:

President-Elect
· Katarina Svanberg, Lund Univ Hospital (Sweden)

Vice-President
· Eustace Dereniak, College of Optical Sciences, The Univ of Arizona (USA)
· Christopher Progler, Photronics, Inc. (USA)

Secretary/Treasurer
· Brian Lula, PI (Physik Instrumente) LP (USA)

On the ballot for the 2010-2012 term are Director candidates:
· John C. Carrano, Carrano Consulting (USA)
· Katarzyna Chalasinska-Macukow, Univ Warszawski (Poland)
· Min Gu, Swinburne Univ of Technology (Australia)
· Robert A. Lieberman, Intelligent Optical Systems Inc (USA)
· Seung-Han Park, Yonsei Univ (South Korea)
· Holger Schlüter, Technolas Perfect Vision GmbH (Germany)
· Ralph P. Tatam, Cranfield Univ (UK)
· Bruce J. Tromberg, Univ of California Irvine (USA)

A candidate for SPIE Officer or Director must be a member in good standing of SPIE and typically will have significant leadership experience with the Society (i.e., committee membership, chairing of conferences or committees, involvement in SPIE student activities, or a combination of these activities) or internationally recognized background in a new technology area of significant interest to SPIE.

The SPIE nominating committee accepts recommendations on an ongoing basis for the election slate. Directors, who serve a three-year term, are expected to attend and participate in three board meetings each year. To make a recommendation or for more information, e-mail governance@spie.org

SPIE is the international optics and photonics society, founded in 1955 to advance light-based technologies. Serving more than 188,000 constituents from 138 countries, the Society advances emerging technologies through interdisciplinary information exchange, continuing education, publications, patent precedent, and career and professional growth. SPIE annually organizes and sponsors approximately 25 major technical forums, exhibitions, and education programs in North America, Europe, Asia, and the South Pacific. In 2008, the Society provided more than $1.9 million in support of scholarships, grants, and other education programs around the world. For more information, visit SPIE.org

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