Synopsys, Inc. (Nasdaq: SNPS) today announced that Dr. John Rogers, principal engineer of imaging optics in the Optical Solutions Group at Synopsys, has been promoted to Fellow by SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics. Each year, SPIE recognizes distinguished individuals in the field of optics and optoelectronics through its Fellows program. The promotion recognizes Rogers’ technical achievements in optical design and engineering, as well as his extensive service and contributions to the optics community. Rogers will formally accept the honor at the SPIE Optics + Photonics Conference in San Diego, Calif. in August 2018.
Rogers is a recognized authority in the fields of optical design and aberration theory, particularly for optical systems with rotationally nonsymmetric and freeform elements. He was an early advocate of vector aberration theory, now known as nodal aberration theory. His 1986 paper “Practical Tilted Mirror Systems” showed for the first time that a tilted and/or decentered optical system could be arranged to have aberration patterns that mimic those of a rotationally symmetric system. He also has designed a wide range of significant and complex optical systems, including three-dimensional imaging for clinical dental applications, ophthalmic surgical systems, biocular and binocular systems, FLIR systems, and head-up and helmet-mounted displays.
Rogers has given extensive service to the optics community for educational activities and support for several technical societies. Currently, he is a reviewer for JOSA A, Optics Express and Optics Letters. In 2014 and 2017, he was co-chair for the International Optical Design Conference. In 2016, he was a guest speaker for the Optical Society of Southern California, and from 1992 to 1997, he was convener for the ISO TC172 SC1 WG2, which produced the ISO 10110 optical drawing standard. From 1984 to 1988, he was assistant professor at the Institute of Optics, University of Rochester.
Rogers has also given significant service to SPIE. He has served as a conference chair, committee member and contributor to many SPIE conferences. He is also a reviewer for Optical Engineering and has served as a guest editor as well. His talks at various SPIE conferences have often attracted large audiences.
He has authored or co-authored 37 journal and conference papers, has contributed articles for two books and holds 13 U.S. patents. He received a Ph.D. in Optics from University of Arizona, an M.S. in Optics from University of Arizona and a B.S. in Mathematics from Virginia Polytechnic Institute.
“John’s pioneering contributions to design strategies for tilted, decentered and freeform surfaces has significantly advanced the field of optical design and has helped to drive the development of advanced design features in the optical software that Synopsys supplies,” said George Bayz, vice president of Synopsys’ Optical Solutions Group. “We congratulate John on his many achievements and on his election to SPIE Fellow.”