2025 David Richardson Medal Winner
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- Bio-Medical Optics
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- Information Acquisition, Processing, Display and Perception
- Optical Interaction Science
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Optica Names Marija Strojnik (Scholl) the 2025 David Richardson Medal Recipient
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Optica is pleased to announce that Marija Strojnik (Scholl), Optical Research, Mexico, has been selected as the 2025 recipient of the David Richardson Medal. Strojnik is honored for developing seminal optical testing techniques, including vectorial shearing interferometer and rotational shearing interferometer in support of commercial applications, and for academic leadership in optical engineering.
Strojnik enrolled in the Physics Department of the University of Ljubljana and continued her studies at Arizona State University (ASU). She earned her PhD in Optical Sciences from the University of Arizona, becoming the first woman with a specialization in infrared science. She was a distinguished professor at the Optical Research Institute in Leon, Mexico.
She founded the optical engineering group at the Optical Research Institute to support industry and as an academic area at the Centro de Investigaciones en Optica (CIO) in Leon, Mexico. She introduced and promoted the practice that an academic institution may perform engineering projects for industry, and her graduates support the optical industry in 
Mexico today. The Mexican Science Foundation named the largest library with optical materials in Latin America at CIO the Marija Strojnik Pogačar Library. Her service to Optica includes two-term appointments as a Deputy Editor for Optics Express and a Topical Editor for Applied Optics.
Strojnik is a Fellow of Optica, SPIE, and Sigma Xi. She was awarded the SPIE George W. Goddard Award and six NASA Technology certificates for her work. She served as the President of Sigma Xi in 2024.
Established in 1966, the Richardson Medal recognizes significant contributions to optical engineering, primarily in the commercial and industrial sector. It honors David Richardson’s unique contributions to applied optics, and is endowed by Cary Instruments and Gary Duck.
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.
Headshot Photo Credit: Anže Malovrh of Slovenska Tiskovna Agencija (Slovenian Press Agency)
