Stephen Fantone, Optikos president and CEO, has been elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). The prestigious honour is among the highest professional distinctions for an engineer.
Fantone was recognised by the NAE for ‘contributions to optical engineering and the development of optically based products and metrology systems.’ He is among 111 newly elected members and 22 international members identified for their outstanding contributions to the field.
‘It’s a tremendous honour to be recognised by the National Academy of Engineering,’ comments Fantone. ‘I’d like to acknowledge my invaluable team here at Optikos for their countless contributions and my family for the personal support that helped make this possible.’
As a recognised expert in optical engineering and optical product development, Fantone has served on numerous government and academic program review panels and has been awarded over 70 patents covering a wide range of optical technologies. He served as 2020 Optica President and as Treasurer from 1996-2013, and he is both an Optica and SPIE Fellow.
Fantone attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he earned bachelor’s degrees in both electrical engineering and management. In 1979 he received a PhD in optics from the Institute of Optics at the University of Rochester for which he was awarded a coveted Hertz Fellowship.
He began his career with Polaroid Corporation and in 1982 founded Optikos to offer expertise in optical engineering for commercial, government, and consumer applications. The Company’s designs and assemblies can be found in a range of end-use optical imaging and photonic products such as those used in life sciences, AR/VR, automotive/LIDAR, aerospace, and defense applications; and Optikos provides complex optical system manufacturing and assembly from prototype through production.
Optikos also manufactures its own standard and custom metrology products that assess and characterise the image quality of lens and camera systems across the optical spectrum. Founded in 1982, Optikos engineering teams provide product development services from design through volume manufacturing.
