Alexander Gaeta, Thomas Brown, Kaoru Minoshima and Marisa Edmund will serve on Optica Board of Directors
About Optica
28 October 2025
Alexander Gaeta, Thomas Brown, Kaoru Minoshima and Marisa Edmund will serve on Optica Board of Directors
Each brings a legacy of volunteerism and partnership with the Society.
WASHINGTON - Optica announces four new members to its board of directors. Alexander (Alex) Gaeta, Columbia University, USA, was elected by Optica’s membership to serve as 2026 Optica Vice President. Thomas G. Brown, University of Rochester, USA; Kaoru Minoshima, University of Electro-Communications, Japan; and Marisa Edmund, Edmund Optics, USA, will serve as 2026-2028 Directors at Large.
Alex Gaeta has devoted nearly four decades to research in quantum and nonlinear photonics. His involvement with Optica, which began when he was a graduate student, has led to numerous volunteer positions. He was the founding Editor-in-Chief of the journal Optica; has organized conferences as a General Co-Chair for CLEO and Frontiers in Optics + Laser Science; and served on the board of directors from 2008–2010. He currently serves as Chair of the Strategic Planning Council.
“Alex is a truly innovative leader, and Optica has benefited greatly from both his vision and stewardship,” said Elizabeth Nolan, Optica CEO. “From his faculty roles at Cornell University and Columbia University to co-founding his start-up Xscape Photonics, he deftly straddles both academia and industry and recognizes the remarkable expansion of optics and photonics to the commercial sector. We enthusiastically welcome him to the Optica Board of Directors.”
Thomas Brown and Kaoru Minoshima have been elected as Directors at Large for the 2026-2028 term. Brown is Professor of Optics and Director of the Institute of Optics at the University of Rochester. He has contributed greatly to the Society through service on the editorial board of Optics Express and as program Co-Chair of the Centennial Celebration in 2016.
Kaoru Minoshima is Professor, Vice-President, and Deputy Member of the Board of Directors at the University of Electro-Communications. A highly-engaged volunteer with Optica, she has held committee roles on various meetings including Frontiers in Optics + Laser Science, CLEO-Pacific Rim and CLEO, in which she served as General Co-Chair. She is currently an Associate Editor of Optica.
Marisa Edmund, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Edmund Optics, has been appointed as a director at large for the 2026-2028 term. Throughout her 27-year tenure at Edmund Optics, she has driven transformative growth in marketing strategies, brand development, product technology and manufacturing capabilities. Under her leadership, the company has expanded globally, growing from 200 to over 1,300 employees.
About Optica
Optica, Advancing Optics and Photonics Worldwide, is the Society dedicated to promoting the generation, application, archiving and dissemination of knowledge in the field. Founded in 1916, it is the leading organization for scientists, engineers, business professionals, students and others interested in the science of light. Optica's renowned publications, meetings, online resources and in-person activities fuel discoveries, shape real-life applications and accelerate scientific, technical and educational achievement. Discover more at: Optica.org
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