Career Accelerator

21 - 25 January, 2024

YMCA of the Rockies - Estes Park Center
Estes Park, Colorado USA

Events

Jim Kafka

CTO at Spectra-Physics and Fellow at MKS

Identifying Emerging Technology Trends

Embark on a journey to uncover the art of identifying emerging technology trends in lasers and seamlessly integrating them into research and product development. Gain insights into how a visionary company like MKS thrives on innovation, and discover the specific skills and attributes sought after in employees with an entrepreneurial spirit. You will have a window into the dynamic world of innovation with examples drawn from the cutting-edge field of ultrafast lasers.

About the Speaker

Jim Kafka received the B.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the Institute of Optics at the University of Rochester in 1977 and 1983, respectively. For the last 40 years, he has been developing new products and is currently the Chief Technology Officer for Spectra-Physics, and a Fellow of our parent company MKS. In addition to authoring numerous journal articles, conference presentations and seminars, he co-authored a book chapter on Ultrafast Nonlinear Optics and holds 45 patents. Jim was the principal designer on three products, the Tsunami, the Opal, and the Millennia X, which have won technology achievement awards. Jim has served the optics community as the Ultrafast Phenomena topical editor for JOSA B and the co-chair for the CLEO and Advanced Solid-State Photonics conferences. He is a Fellow of Optica and has served as a Distinguished Traveling Lecturer for the Division of Laser Science of the APS. Jim is currently Vice President of Optica and is excited to progress through the presidential chain over the next few years.