OSA, SPIE Honor Arthur Guenther

OSA and SPIE have renamed their jointly sponsored Congressional Fellowship Program to the Arthur H. Guenther Congressional Fellowship Program, to honor the achievements and contributions of the late Arthur Guenther, who was a University of New Mexico (UNM) professor and fellow of both societies. "Art was a tireless advocate for the optics and photonics community for nearly 50 years," said OSA President Joseph Eberly. Guenther, who died in April, was a research professor of electrical and computer engineering, as well as physics and astronomy, at the Center for High Technology Materials at UNM. Previously, he served with the US Air Force for 31 years; he also held positions at both Los Alamos and Sandia National Labs and was a science advisor to the governor of New Mexico. Guenther wrote more than 350 scientific publications and was the editor of several books on applied optics and engineering. He was the recipient of numerous awards, including the Meritorious and Distinguished Executive Rank Awards from the President. He received countless accolades from professional societies, including OSA’s David Richardson Medal and SPIE’s Director's Award. He also served as president of the International Commission for Optics under the International Council of Scientific Unions. OSA/SPIE Congressional Fellows spend a year working as special legislative assistants on the staffs of members of Congress or congressional committees.