Oschmann Receives 2015 SPIE Directors’ Award
Jim Oschmann of Ball Aerospace honored.
SPIE Fellow Jim Oschmann, vice president and general manager of the Civil Space and Technology business unit of Ball Aerospace (USA), received the 2015 SPIE Directors’ Award for his service to SPIE, the astronomy community, and the greater optics community.
Oschmann has served as session or conference chair numerous times for SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation and SPIE Optics + Photonics, and he was symposium chair for the astronomy symposium in 2004 and 2006.
He is an expert in astronomical telescope design and lasers and is responsible for acquisition and execution of Ball Aerospace programs for civil customers that address science and technology development objectives.
He has held several key positions at Ball Aerospace including chief engineer and director or manager of advanced technologies and tactical solutions. Prior to joining Ball in July 2004, Oschmann served in technical and managerial positions across industry and the science community, including at the Gemini Observatory, the National Solar Observatory, Phase Shift Technology, Sensis Corp., Hughes Aircraft, and TRW.
Oschmann is on the program committee for a conference on innovative technologies and concepts for UV/optical/IR space telescopes and instruments at SPIE Optics + Photonics, where he accepted his award in August.
A former member of the SPIE Board of Directors and a lifetime member of SPIE, Oschmann serves on the SPIE Awards and Strategic Planning Committees and is chair of the Membership Committee.
Oschmann has a master’s degree from University of Arizona where he was named the College of Optical Sciences Alumnus of the Year in 2014.
He has presented some 25 papers at technical conferences and holds two patents.
The SPIE Directors’ Award is presented to recognize significant services of outstanding benefit to the Society.
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