Optics & Photonics, Fiber Optics, Optical Communications Engineering and Development Expert

Expertise

• New business and technology expert, aligning company competencies to customer needs through deep technical proficiency.
• Proven Industrial leader, impactfully helping companies transform ideas into innovative products through: Understanding market conditions, building trusting customers relationships, brainstorming novel product concepts, and supporting product development.

Specific Disciplines

• Photonics
• Optical communications
• Intellectual property 
• Technical portfolio management
• Contract negotiations

Patent Creation

• integrated optical connectivity
• Wavelength division multiplexing
• Hyperspectral imaging

Experience

Undisclosed Company

Commercial Technology Liaison, Office of the CTO

• Create new business opportunities for Company Optical Communications (COC) and Specialty Materials.
• New business including:  Optical connectivity for integrated photonics, free form optics for photolithographic and infrared imaging systems, and hyperspectral imaging for commercial applications.
• Provide technical direction and strategic planning to research, development and COC business that created integrated photonic connectivity products.
• Identified a $40 million manufacturing cost savings for an existing data center product line.
• Generated more than 23 patents and patent applications in the areas of integrated optical connectivity, wavelength division multiplexing, and hyperspectral imaging.
• Initiated key partner and customer interactions including:  Nondisclosure agreements and development agreements resulting in strategic alliances and product introductions aligned to customer needs.
• Positioned business to take advantage of growing opportunity for co-packaging optical engines with ASICs by cultivated key players of the ecosystem.
• Spearheaded efforts to introduce a new thin film deposition capability for generating multi-million-dollar net present value opportunities for two business units.
• Launched and led project establishing value for glass as an electronic package substrate.

Program Director, Integrated Optical Connectivity, 2015 - 2017

• Developed and implemented a strategy and technical plan to integrate optical connectivity for Company Optical Communications business.
• Drove extensive engagements with potential customers and learning partners to identify the critical problems that led to developing differentiated solutions.
• Identified required internal capabilities, then coordinated and aligned research and development projects to develop scalable, low loss, low cost, single mode fiber-to-photonic integrated circuit coupling products.
• Reviewed invention disclosures and counseled the Optical Connectivity Solutions business on filing strategy and prioritization to establish a strong integrated photonic connectivity portfolio.
• Launched optical band plane effort that resulted in record low-loss waveguides in glass sufficient to meet the link loss budget for this application. 

Research Director, Optical Physics and Transmission, 2004 - 2015

• Optical physics thought leader overseeing all technical, managerial, and financial aspects of optical physics research, one of Company’s top three core competencies with a budget exceeding $10 million.
• Created a strategy, built competencies, developed a portfolio, and sponsored projects in fiber communications, laser processing, optical materials and measurement systems,
• Providing solutions to critical business problems and creating new business opportunities.
• Oversaw successful technology transfers to businesses including: Bend-insensitive ClearCurve and ultra-low loss SMF-28 ULL fibers, EPIC label-free detection of biochemical and cellular assays, Gorilla glass stress measurements, durable AR coatings, laser cutting glass, automated fiber jumper assembly.
• Coordinated Company’s Optical Fiber and Cable business’ research portfolio in materials, fabrication, fiber design, optical transmission testbeds, and system-level modeling with an annual investment exceeding $10 million that strengthened Company’s world market and technology leadership in fiber.vg.
• Sponsor of world-leading technology breakthroughs:  Lowest loss photonic bandgap fiber, highest power fiber amplifier, highest capacity optical packet switch network prototype, improved efficiency thin film solar cells, and record high capacity multi-core, few-mode fiber transmission.
• Consolidated optical physics competency into a highly prolific and creative director well aligned with corporate objectives after the telecom downturn in the early 2000s.
• Assessed invention disclosures and advised research and development intellectual property committee on filing them as patent applications. Provided guidance on management of intellectual property portfolio assets. 

Honors & Publications

Academic and Professional Affiliations

• Manufacturing USA American Institute for Manufacturing Integrated Photonics (AIM Photonics)-Leadership Council and Technical Review Board
• Technical sub-committee chair for Optical Fiber Communication Conference
• Company representative on The Center for Freeform Optics, an NSF-sponsored Industry/University Cooperative Research Center
• Companying Management Group member
• Development project lead on Raman amplification commercialization
• Optical Industry Development Association Steering Committee
• Corporate member representative of U. of Rochester, Institute of Optics, Industrial Associates
• New York Center for Advanced Technology Center for Emerging and Innovative Sciences Board of Directors
•  Member of Photonics West technical committee

Publications 

• Author of a book chapter for Raman Amplifiers for Telecommunications
• Presented numerous invited talks at major conferences, keynote speaker at universities, Company Senior Management and Company Board of Directors     
•  More than 40 papers/conference presentations, and 16 internal reports on fiber optics communications, fiber design, nonlinearities, polarization mode dispersion, Raman amplification, integrated photonics, ion-exchange waveguides, and optical connectivity      

Patents

• 39 patents, 17 patents pending

Education

•  Ph.D.  Optics, Institute of Optics, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
•  B.S.   Applied Math, Engineering and Physics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI