SPIE appoints Dr. Kent Rochrod as CEO

SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, announced Kent Rochford as its new CEO, replacing Eugene Arthurs, who will retire from SPIE on June 2.

Dr. Rochford, a longtime SPIE member, was associate director for Laboratory Programs at National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), providing direction and operational guidance for NIST’s scientific and technical laboratory programs with 2,800 staff and an $800M budget. In this role, he represented the full breadth of laboratory activity to domestic and international constituencies, collaborators, stakeholders, the U.S. Congress, and advisory boards.

“I am honored and grateful for the opportunity to lead this exceptional organization during such an exciting time for optics and photonics,” said Rochford. “I look forward to working with the SPIE Board, leadership, staff, and volunteers to build on their remarkable accomplishments. I’ve always felt privileged to work in photonics, and I’m thrilled to be part of SPIE’s efforts to advance this extraordinary field.”