Montana State to establish endowed professorship of optics and photonics

BOZEMAN - Montana State University recently received two donations totaling $1 million to fund an endowed professorship of optics and photonics, an area of research in which MSU is widely considered a national leader. The professorship will support teaching, mentoring and research in optics and photonics.

SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, donated $500,000 this fall to establish the professorship. The $500,000 gift from SPIE is matched by a $500,000 bequest to the MSU Alumni Foundation.

"MSU's strengths in optics and photonics show how university discoveries can grow into industries that create opportunities across our state," said Christine Foreman, dean of MSU's Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering. "We are grateful to SPIE and the Hubbard Trust for supporting this professorship, which will bring students, researchers and industry together to solve important problems and strengthen Montana's future."

The professorship is expected to benefit MSU students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

"This named professorship will have a good impact on our students, because ultimately this allows our faculty to work with undergraduate and graduate students in research and outreach activities related to optics and photonics," said David Dickensheets, head of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in MSU's Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering.

The engineering college is one of three colleges that participate in MSU's interdisciplinary Optical Technology Center, or OpTeC, which is an international leader in laser optics research. OpTeC has been instrumental in establishing one of the nation's highest concentrations of laser-optics companies in Bozeman, which currently has more than 40 such entities, according to Joseph Shaw, a Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and affiliate professor of physics. Shaw has served as director of MSU's OpTeC since 2004.

MSU offers optics and photonics degrees at the two-year technician level and the master's degree level, along with an undergraduate minor and an emphasis for doctoral degrees from several departments.

"This will give the holder of the professorship the flexibility to continue to impact that field in Bozeman, in Montana and at the university," Dickensheets said.

The professorship will be awarded to an outstanding tenure-track or research faculty member demonstrating leadership, professionalism and impact on the success of MSU.

"We are grateful for SPIE for this visionary investment in Montana State University," said Fran Albrecht, president and CEO of the MSU Alumni Foundation. "The endowed professorship will provide lasting and meaningful support for research and education while helping MSU prepare the next generation of engineers, scientists and innovators in one of the world's fastest-growing fields."

"This endowment will help Montana State University attract and retain top faculty who continue to work in this exciting field for years to come, and those faculty will have access to steady funding to provide students with opportunities to work on world-class research and travel to conferences or other professional activities," Shaw said. "We are proud to benefit from the generous support of SPIE as we fulfill our mission of teaching, research and service in our optics and photonics program that is continuing to create such great jobs and economic opportunities for the people of Montana and beyond."

SPIE established its endowment-matching program in 2019 to increase international capacity in the teaching and research of optics and photonics. To date, SPIE has provided more than $6 million in matching gifts.

"SPIE welcomes the opportunity to recognize the outstanding faculty at Montana State University's Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering through the SPIE Professorship in Optics and Photonics," said Kent Rochford, SPIE CEO. "With this collaboration, Montana State University can build upon its strong foundation of learning and research in these fields. We are grateful to collaborate on this endowment, which will have lasting impacts on the continued advancement of optics and photonics in our world."