Alexander Sohn

Alex Sohn is a precision engineer specializing in optics fabrication and metrology. After receiving his MS in physics from UT Arlington in 1994, Alex subsequently began his working career at Fresnel Technologies in Ft.Worth, Texas. In 1997, and for 15 years thereafter, he worked as a staff researcher/lecturer at NC State University’s Precision Engineering Center. In 2012, Alex transitioned back to industry, this time at L3’s Tinsley Labs, where he worked on various diamond turning, metrology and sub-aperture polishing projects for space, defense and consumer products. This included the optical elements for the earth-observing multi-spectral imager PhyTiR, now deployed on the International Space Station’s ECOSTRESS module for seven years. In 2015, Alex was recruited by Oculus Research (now Meta’s Reality Labs). There, he contributed to Meta’s AR HMD, Orion, and manufacturing technology for pancake lenses for VR headsets. In early 2025, Alex launched a precision engineering consultancy business.

Alex has been a member of SPIE for 30 years and has authored and presented many conference papers and has served as director-at-large and organized several ASPE conferences. In 2024, Alex was elected Vice President of ASPE. He will be president of that society in 2026. He has also headed the effort to fund the Thomas Dow scholarship in 2022 and sponsored several student challenges.

In his spare time, Alex enjoys rehabilitating his historic home, undertaking various woodworking projects and learning new skills. Alex also restores and competes on vintage motorcycles in the American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association (AHRMA).