Drs. Robert G. Knollenberg and R.C. "Merc" Mercure Jr. will be named the first-ever winners of the Colorado Photonics Pioneer Awards at the Colorado Photonics Industry Association's annual meeting in November.

Knollenberg founded Particle Measuring Systems Inc. in 1972 in Boulder. The company went on to spin off Research Electro-Optics Inc. in 1994. Today the companies have 380 and 260 employees, respectively. Knollenberg continues to contribute to Colorado photonics through his Sensor Technology Development Fund LLC, a venture capital firm.

Mercure helped start Ball Brothers Research Corp., which later became Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corp., after graduating from the University of Colorado with a doctorate in physics in 1957. In 1988, he returned to the University of Colorado to serve in a number of positions including director of the engineering management master's degree program, managing director of the Optoelectronic Computing Systems Center and adjunct professor.

Mercure sits on the boards of directors of several private companies, is the president of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research Foundation and is a director of the Colorado Technology Incubator.

Founded in 1997, the Colorado Photonics Industry Association is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to encouraging cooperation, collaboration and partnering among the 250 industrial, academic and governmental organizations in Colorado involved in optics and photonics technologies.