Introducing Dr. Mark Spencer as Robert M. Edmund Endowed Chair in Optical Sciences and Professor of Optical Sciences
Leader in Directed Energy Joins Wyant College Faculty
The Wyant College of Optical Sciences is proud to officially welcome Dr. Mark F. Spencer as a Professor of Optical Sciences and the inaugural holder of the Robert M. Edmund Endowed Chair in Optical Sciences. This prestigious appointment recognizes Dr. Spencer’s exceptional contributions to the field of directed energy and his leadership in advancing beam control and propagation technologies for laser systems.
The Robert M. Edmund Endowed Chair was established to honor the legacy of Robert M. Edmund, a pioneer in optical manufacturing and education, and the founder of Edmund Optics. For decades, Edmund Optics has played a vital role in making high-quality optical components accessible to researchers, educators, and engineers around the world. The chair supports faculty whose work exemplifies the spirit of innovation, accessibility, and excellence that defines Edmund’s impact on the optics and photonics community.
“I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to serve as the inaugural holder of the Robert M. Edmund Endowed Chair in Optical Sciences. The Edmund name is everywhere in optics and photonics. I personally cannot remember an optics lab where I did not see an ‘Edmund Optics’ logo. Needless to say, I am still pinching myself that I get to serve as an ambassador for optics and photonics technology from one of the best institutions in the world — The University of Arizona’s James C. Wyant College of Optical Sciences. I very much look forward to growing my collaborative research group within the college and supporting my friends and colleagues (new and old) both locally and abroad.”
— Dr. Mark F. Spencer
Dr. Spencer joined the Wyant College of Optical Sciences in Fall 2025 as a professor and leader of the Beam Control and Propagation (BC&P) Laboratory. He brings a wealth of experience from both government and defense sectors, having most recently served as Principal Director for Directed Energy at the Pentagon within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.
His career began at the Air Force Research Laboratory, Directed Energy Directorate, where he worked from 2014 to 2021 after earning his PhD in Optical Sciences and Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology as a SMART Scholar. He later served as a Directed Energy Staff Specialist at U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and as Director of the Joint Directed Energy Transition Office.
An internationally recognized expert in beam control, adaptive optics, and unconventional imaging, Dr. Spencer is currently seeking enthusiastic Wyant OSC students to grow his collaborative research group within the college.
You can find Dr. Spencer in Meinel 737 and email him at spencerm@arizona.edu.