James C. Wyant elected to OSA office

The Optical Society of America (OSA) has announced the election of James C. Wyant, dean of the College of Optical Sciences at the University of Arizona, as its 2008 vice president. Wyant is an SPIE Fellow and Past President. Wyant will automatically become president-elect in 2009 and then the society's president in 2010.

Wyant directs the school of optics at the University of Arizona. He is the author of more than 300 written publications and invited talks on interferometry, holography and optical testing. He was the recipient of the SPIE Gold Medal in 2003, the SPIE Technology Achievement Award in 1988 with WYKO Corporation, and the 1979 SPIE Governors' Award. He was President of SPIE in 1986. He is also a member of the National Academy of Engineering.

Wyant is known as an entrepreneur in the field. He has significant expertise in launching and growing industry corporations, having co-founded WYKO Corporation, 4D Technology and DMetrix. Wyant has been a member of the board of directors for several organizations, including WYKO, ILX Lightwave, Veeco Instruments, Optics 1, DMetrix and 4D Technology. His business acumen has earned him industry accolades, including the University of Arizona College of Business and Public Administration Entrepreneurial Fellowship, Arizona's Innovator of the Year; Product Award, the Tom Brown Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award and the University of Arizona Technology Innovation Award.