What is governance? For SPIE, governance is the glue that binds the Society together.
SPIE Membership operates the Society through an elected Board of Directors, who establish various standing and ad-hoc committees to conduct business of interest to the Membership. These SPIE committees develop strategic policy, help foster interaction and cooperation, and deepen the Board's understanding of the issues that have an impact on the Society.
For example, in 2003, SPIE launched the Women in Optics (WiO) program to promote the advancement of women working in optical science and engineering. SPIE's commitment to diversity has fostered personal and professional growth for women through community building, networking opportunities, and encouraging young women to choose optics and photonics as a career. Just two years later, in 2005, Membership elected Małgorzata Kujawińska as the first woman President of the Society.
"A big part of why I had originally looked to join an SPIE committee is because while I was attending the University of Arizona's College of Optical Sciences, I was provided a lot of unique experiences and opportunity through involvement with the SPIE Student Chapter and WiO," says Olivia Fehlberg of Edmund Optics, Inc. "I really value being a member of the governance committees, and now the chair of the Early Career and Student Subcommittee (ECS), because I strive to be able to give back and help shape programs and resources for students and early career professionals that allow them similar opportunities and connections to what I had, which helped to shape my decision making and the path of my career in optics."
Tatev Chalyan, a postdoctoral researcher at Vrije Universiteit Brussel, and a member of the ECS, echoed Fehlberg's enthusiasm. Chalyan, along with some colleagues, founded an SPIE Student Chapter at the University of Trento, paving a path for further engagement with SPIE. "My involvement in the SPIE governing committees was a big surprise. Remembering my time as a student in Armenia, I would never have thought of having this level of engagement with the Society. If one truly feels the bonds with the community and wants to make changes, the Society pays back, and opens new possibilities for further personal and professional growth. I hope my experience can be an example for many young girls to follow their path and believe that hard work will definitely be acknowledged," she said.
SPIE is grateful for volunteers like Chalyan and Fehlberg. In 2021, women make up 41 percent of SPIE governing committees. SPIE continually strives to improve and enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of its Membership and day-to-day operations. We encourage you to get involved. Interested? Email governance@spie.org.
Stacey Crockett is the Governance Specialist at SPIE.
