Leadership Updates: Welcoming Mike Chini as Deputy Director, Thanking Departing Committee Members
We're excited to announce that Mike Chini has been appointed as IOS Deputy Director! A longtime leader within the institute, Mike joined the IOS Executive Committee in June 2025 and will now work alongside Director Lou DiMauro to support the Director's efforts and represent IOS at meetings and events when needed.
Mike earned his PhD in Physics from the University of Central Florida in 2012, studying under Prof. Zenghu Chang, with research focused on the characterization and spectroscopic application of isolated attosecond light pulses. He joined the UCF Physics faculty in 2015, was promoted to Associate Professor in 2020, and moved to the Ohio State University Department of Physics in Fall 2024.
We'd also like to extend our sincere thanks to Robert Baker for his dedicated service as IOS's former Deputy Director. We're pleased to share that Robert will be transitioning into a role on the Executive Committee, where he'll continue to support IOS in this new capacity.
Additionally, we'd like to thank Ron Reano for his service on the Executive Committee as he rotates off, and Rengasayee (Sai) Veeraraghavan, who will be stepping down from the committee this fall as he departs Ohio State. We're grateful for their contributions to IOS's growth.
As these positions become available, IOS will be reaching out to invite new members to join the Executive Committee.
We're looking forward to the continued leadership and expertise Mike will bring to the institute in this new role!
What is the Institute for Optical Science?
The Institute for Optical Science is a community of multidisciplinary researchers studying the fundamental properties of light and harnessing these properties in practical applications for significant benefit to society.
