ORLANDO, FL, December 13, 2016 – The Laser Institute of America is proud to announce the 2017 Elected Officers, 2017-2019 Board of Directors, and this year’s newest Fellow Award Recipients.
Secretary Dr. Minlin Zhong is a professor at the School of Materials Science & Engineering at Tsinghua University. He serves as the Director of the Laser Materials Processing Research Center and is the President of the International Academy of Photonics and Laser Engineering. Dr. Zhong has researched laser materials since 1983, serving as the principal investigator on 19 international cooperation projects and 20 domestic scientific projects. He has published over 200 papers over the course of his career. Dr. Zhong will contribute his over thirty years’ knowledge and experience to the continuous growth of LIA, to fulfill the related duties and responsibilities of secretary and to bridge LIA to the Asia laser communities.
Treasurer Gilbert Haas is the founder of Haas Laser Technologies, Inc., a designer and manufacturer of custom laser beam delivery components. Working with lasers for over 34 years, Mr. Haas worked as a Laser Field Service Engineer, Technical Support Engineer and a Senior Applications Engineer, where he worked on the development of the first commercially produced Nd:YAG 1 kW SLAB Laser. In the position of treasurer for the LIA, Mr. Haas will work to support and promote LIA’s efforts using his career experience with lasers and 24 years of business experience as an entrepreneur and founder/owner of Haas Laser Technologies, Inc. and Flanders-Ironia, LLC.
President Elect Milan Brandt is a professor of Advanced Manufacturing in the School of Engineering at RMIT, in Melbourne, Australia. Prof. Brandt also serves as the Technical Director of the Advanced Manufacturing Precinct at RMIT and the Director of the RMIT Centre for Additive Manufacturing. Brandt has authored over 200 publications throughout his career. He has been affiliated with LIA for over 30 years, serving on the organizing committees for LAM® and ICALEO®. Prof. Brandt is also the Senior Editor of JLA in additive manufacture. Prof. Brandt is committed to further increasing LIA’s role and its membership locally and globally through new workshops and conferences on laser applications and laser safety.
These three individuals will join current Executive Committee Members President-Elect Paul Denney of Lincoln Electric Company and 2016 President Prof. Lin Li of The University of Manchester, as they lead LIA into what will undoubtedly be another successful year in 2017.
The 2017-2019 Board includes Eckhard Beyer (Executive Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS Dresden, Germany, Executive Director of Institute of Manufacturing Technology), who aims to act as contact to the German laser community, as well as contribute to the field of laser materials processing in general. Robert Braunschweig (Managing Director at LASEA US, ICALEO Organizing Committee), whose goal is to “work toward reinvigorating the laser scientific community to broaden exchanges between the industry and new innovators toward LIA’s mission.” Corey Dunskey (President and Founder of Aeos Consulting) intends to strengthen LIA’s connections to industrial uses of lasers and laser systems by helping [to] create, evaluate and distribute laser process information through events and publications. Lucian Hand (President of Altos Photonics, ANSI Z136 Committee), stated “I intend to promote and support LIA in the pursuit of excellence in education and safety.” Tracey Johnson (Marketing Specialist at Synrad, multiple award winner in marketing and design), aims to support the core values and objectives of LIA while injecting new ideas to increase membership, attendance at trade events, as well as seek out partnership opportunities. Dr. Markus Kogel-Hollacher (Head of Research and Development projects at Precitec Group, Juror for Innovation award in Laser Technology), who highlighted “the philosophy of the LIA conferences, bridging gaps between science and industry, and so I want to bring the attractiveness of these events to young scientists and industry representatives.” John Lopez (President of “Club Lasers et Procédés” (CLP) since 2010, Research Engineer at Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique” (CNRS), conference chair for JNPLI International Conference), intends to promote LIA’s activities in Europe and is eager to contribute toward organizing joint events with European laser associations. Reinhart Poprawe (Managing Director of Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology, Fellow in the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, LIA Fellow, Former LIA President), is “committed to work to the improvement of ICALEO, especially the quality, impact and visibility of the Journal of Laser Applications® (JLA).” Michael Schmidt (Professor at Friedrich-Alexander University Erangen-Nurnberg, CEO of research company BLZ, Corporate member of CIRP), intends to support the academic and economic cooperation on international levels, thus benefiting the further development of laser technology, worldwide. Bill Shiner (Vice President of IPG Photonics, Photonics Spectra Editorial Board, LIA Fellow Award winner), who says “As a member of the Board of Directors, I will continue to lend my opinion, guidance, support and ideas to assist wherever I can in the growth and success of the Laser Institute of America,” and finally, Robert Thomas (Fellow of SPIE, member of American Physical Society, Directed Energy Society and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Fellow, 2015 LIA President), plans “to contribute information regarding the development of laser safety standards… In addition, I hope to assist the Executive Director and staff in strategic initiatives and activities that will celebrate the 50th year of LIA and set a course for its future.”
The 2017 LIA Fellow Award recipients are Neil Ball and Silke Pflueger. The LIA Fellow award is the highest level of membership available within Laser Institute of America. Recipients of the Fellow award are individuals who have provided outstanding service to their field and attained unusual professional distinctions in the key areas of laser science and technology, laser applications and/or laser safety.
About LIA
Laser Institute of America (LIA) is the professional society for laser applications and safety serving the industrial, educational, medical, research and government communities throughout the world since 1968. www.lia.org, 13501 Ingenuity Drive, Ste 128, Orlando, FL 32826, +1.407.380.1553.