|
|
| Arthur H Guenther, ECE Research Professor Emeritus at CHTM,
passed away April 21st. Art Guenther was a worldwide ambassador for optics
and his impact on our community was vast. On the international level, Art Guenther served as president of
the International Commission for Optics from 1999 to 2002 and was elected to the Russian Academy of Science for
his work in enhancing communications between the Soviet Union and the United States. Nationally he was very
active in professional societies serving on the SPIE board of directors and working with both IEEE LEOS and OSA
on many boards and committees. He served on many National Academy Panels including one that provided a comprehensive
overview of Optics and its scientific and economic impact. While at the Air Force Research Laboratory, he
was awarded the Distinguished Senior Executive Award by President Ronald Regan. He was a participant in numerous
research advisory committees for government, universities and industry. In New Mexico, Art Guenther was chief scientist of the Air Force Weapons Laboratory (now the Air Force Research Laboratory) and held leadership/policy roles at both Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories. He was a long time Science Advisor to both Republican and Democratic Governors and played the major influential role in the creation of the New Mexico Centers of Technical Excellence, including CHTM, in the early 1980's, serving as the chair of the state commission that oversaw the centers and ensured their long-term success. He played a major role in optics education in New Mexico across the spectrum from the UNM Graduate Degree Program in Optical Science and Engineering to the West Mesa High School Photonics Academy. Art Guenther retired from many of the major scientific institutions in New Mexico, including UNM where he was a Research Professor of ECE, but he never retired from life, from his love of optics, and from bringing people together to create new synergies and opportunities. His legacy will continue to impact his beloved field of optics and all of us who were touched and inspired by his enthusiasm and creativity. |
