The SPIE Rudolf and Hilda Kingslake Award in Optical Design is presented in recognition of significant achievement in the field of optical design, including the theoretical or experimental aspects of optical engineering. Honorarium $2,000.
Prior to 2019, the SPIE Rudolf and Hilda Kingslake Award in Optical Design was known as the Kingslake Medal and Prize. From 1974 to 2019, SPIE awarded the Rudolf Kingslake Medal to recognize the most noteworthy original paper published in the Society's Optical Engineering journal. In 2020, the award transitioned from a paper selection to a nomination process in recognition of a particular individual or group. Awards presented from 2020 onward will recognize a broader segment of optical design.
About the Kingslakes: In 1929, Rudolf Kingslake and his new bride, Hilda Conrady Kingslake, uprooted their lives in England to take their chances in America. At age 26, Rudolf Kingslake was hired as one of the first two faculty members at the University of Rochester's fledgling Institute of Optics. That alone would be a mark of distinction in anyone's lifetime, but for Kingslake, it was only the first step in a career that spanned 60 years as an educator and lens designer. Hilda Kingslake, herself highly qualified in optics, was employed in optical design and research. She devoted most of her career to civic betterment, particularly to the concerns of women. She was very influential in the establishment of the Optical Society of America, as well as chronicling the histories of OSA and the Institute of Optics.