SPIE Rudolf and Hilda Kingslake Award in Optical Design

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 (now Optica), as well as chronicling the histories of OSA and the Institute of Optics. 

How to Nominate

Current recipients


Haiyin Sun

Haiyin Sun, 2025 recipient

In recognition of four decades of contributions to optical design, including engineering and measurements, laser-diode applications, optical-literature publications, and service to the optical-design community.
Learn more about Haiyin Sun

Past recipients


2024
David Shafer

2023
Wilhelm Ulrich



2018
Christopher Bailey

2018
Michael Rucci

2018
Bobby Hunt

2018
Amber Iler

2017
Christof Pruß

2017
Goran Baer

2017
Johannes Schindler

2017
Wolfgang Osten

2016
James Biegen

2016
Peter de Groot

2015
Xinmin Shen

2015
Guoliang Jiang

2015
Qunzhang Tu

2015
Kazuya Yamamura

2015
Hui Deng

2014
Andreas Mann

2014
Peter Kühmstedt

2014
Gunther Notni

2014
Stefan Heist

2014
Peter Schreiber

2013
Hans Zappe

2013
Andreas Seifert

2013
Wei Zhang

2012
Maarten Hogervorst

2012
Alexander Toet

2011
Lucy Cohan

2011
David Miller

2010
Joseph Goodman

2009
Jürgen Jahns

2009
Michael Bohling

2009
Hans Knuppertz

2008
Manfred Hammer

2008
Milan Maksimovic

2008
E. van Groesen

2007
Monique Thual

2007
Damien Malardé

2007
Benoit Abherve-Guegen

2007
Philippe Rochard

2007
Philippe Chanclou

2006
Michael Curley

2006
Sergey Sarkisov

2006
LaQuieta Huey

2006
Aisha Fields

2006
Sergey Sarkisov

2006
Grigory Adamovsky

2005
James Snyder

2005
Stephen Kwiatkowski

2004
Mark Gruneisen

2004
Lewis DeSandre

2004
James Rotgé

2004
Raymond Dymale

2004
Donald Lubin

2003
John Hoffnagle

2003
Michael Jefferson

2002
Thomas Tsao

2002
James Wen

2001
Giuseppe Schirripa Spagnolo

2001
Dario Ambrosini

2000
Aden Meinel

2000
Marjorie Meinel

1999
Robert Fiete

1998
Russell Hardie

1998
Kenneth Barnard

1998
John Bognar

1998
Ernest Armstrong

1998
Edward Watson

1997
Pasqualina Sarro

1997
Gleb Vdovin

1997
Simon Middelhoek

1996
Par Kierkegaard

1995
Glenn Boreman

1995
Alfred Ducharme

1995
Eyal Sapir

1995
Arnold Daniels

1993
Harvey Phillips

1993
Roland Sauerbrey

1992
Marjorie Meinel

1992
Aden Meinel

1991
Brian Newnam

1990
Paul Prucnal

1990
Philippe Perrier

1989
Arthur Chiou

1989
Paul Beckwith

1989
Tallis Chang

1989
Mohsen Khoshnevisan

1989
Pochi Yeh

1988
Ares Rosakis

1988
Ramaratnam Narasimhan

1988
Alan Zehnder

1987
Chris Kirk

1986
Robert Fukuda

1986
Arthur Fisher

1986
Lai-Chang Ling

1986
John Lee

1985
Armand Tanguay

1984
Gene Gindi

1984
Arthur Gmitro

1983
James Palmer

1982
David Pepper

1981
Robert Sprague

1981
William Turner

1980
G. Ferrano

1979
James Fienup

1978
Norman Brown

1977
David Kay

1977
Brian Thompson

1976
Richard Swing

1975
Colin Forno

1974
Irving Abel

1974
B. Reynolds