BELLINGHAM, Washington, USA -- SPIE offers deepest condolences to the Society's members and many friends in and from Poland and to their countrymen, on the death of President Lech Kaczynski and others in the national leadership who were killed in a plane crash on Saturday.

"We share the sense of shock and grief at the loss of Poland's head of state, his wife, the other Polish leaders, and all who died in the crash," said SPIE Executive Director Eugene Arthurs. "We have many close connections to the optics and photonics community in Poland, and our thoughts are with our friends and colleagues there in this second Katyn disaster."

SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, was 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, and supports scholarships, grants, and other education programs around the world. In Europe, SPIE supports the optics and photonics community by acting as an advocate and liaison to political and industry associations.

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Media Contact:

Amy Nelson
Public Relations Manager
amy@spie.org
Tel: +1 360 685 5478

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