Fiber lasers and amplifiers maker IPG Photonics Corp. of Oxford, Mass., announced that Vice President of Industrial Markets Bill Shiner received the 2009 President’s Award from the Laser Institute of America (LIA) last month. The award honors individuals who have made significant contributions to LIA and enabled the growth and prosperity of the society. The award was presented for the first time in more than five years at LIA’s International Congress on Applications of Lasers & Electro-Optics (ICALEO), during an event held Nov. 4. Shiner has been on the LIA’s board of directors since the 1970s; in 2007, his service culminated in his term as president. He has championed the society over the years with conference papers, advertisements and sponsorships, and he was the force behind the development of the LIA Laser Application Resource Guide and the Laser Additive Manufacturing Workshop. Shiner was also inducted as an LIA Fellow at the ceremony.