Each year, four newly elected members join the IEEE Photonics Society’s Board of Governors, entrusted by their peers to help shape the Society’s strategic direction and guide key decisions that benefit both its members and the broader profession. Beginning their three-year terms in 2026, the next class brings exceptional expertise, dedicated service, and a shared passion for advancing innovation within the global photonics community.
Their elected member statements highlight a collective commitment to strengthening academia–industry partnerships, expanding mentorship and educational opportunities, and increasing access to Society resources worldwide. They also emphasize fostering multidisciplinary collaboration, raising awareness of photonics’ societal impact, and ensuring the Society remains at the forefront of technological advancement.
Together, they aim to cultivate a more connected, dynamic, and forward-looking community. One that continues to inspire discovery, empower emerging researchers, and shape the technologies of the future.
Meet the new elected members to the IEEE Photonics Society’s Board of Governors below and explore the priorities they are set to champion during their tenure.
Cristian Antonelli, University of L’Aquila, Italy
Cristian Antonelli, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Electromagnetic Fields at the University of L’Aquila, where he heads the Laboratory of Optics and Photonics within INCIPICT, home to the world’s first installed-fiber infrastructure for space-division multiplexed (SDM) communications. His research interests include SDM transmission, secure communications, and environmental sensing.
Over the past fifteen years, Antonelli has been deeply involved with the IEEE Photonics Society, serving on the technical program committees of major conferences including OFC, ECOC, OECC, and CLEO. He chaired subcommittees for OFC 2017 and ECOC 2020, 2021, and 2023, and served as Chair of the IEEE Photonics Society’s Summer Topicals Series from 2021 to 2023. He currently serves as Technical Program Vice-Chair of the IEEE Photonics Conference (IPC) 2025 and will chair the Italian Conference on Optics and Photonics 2026.
Antonelli has also contributed to the Society’s publications, serving as Associate Editor for the IEEE/Optica Journal of Lightwave Technology and Guest Editor for Proceedings of the IEEE. He is an IEEE Senior Member, and a member of the Society’s Italy Chapter Executive Board.
On his vision for the Society, Antonelli emphasizes enhancing student and early-career engagement through mentorship and professional development, strengthening collaboration between academia and industry, and promoting photonics education worldwide. He also aims to support initiatives that expand global access to IEEE Photonics publications and conference content.
Haisheng Rong, Intel Corporation, USA
Haisheng Rong, Ph.D., IEEE Fellow, is a Senior Principal Scientist at Intel Labs in California, where he leads pioneering research in silicon photonics. His groundbreaking work includes the demonstration of the first silicon-based laser, high-speed silicon microring modulators, silicon photonic chips with integrated laser arrays, and wafer-scale optoelectronic testing platforms for Optical Compute Interconnects (OCI). With more than 60 U.S. patents and over 120 scientific publications, Rong’s contributions have significantly advanced optical communication and laser integration technologies.
Within the IEEE Photonics Society, Rong has served in numerous leadership roles, including on the organizing committee for the IEEE International Conference on Group IV Photonics (GFP) and as general co-chair of the inaugural IEEE Silicon Photonics Conference in 2023. He has also contributed to IEEE Senior Member and Fellow evaluation panels and served as guest editor for IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics.
In his elected member statement, Rong also emphasized key priorities such as fostering stronger collaboration between academia and industry. He looks to support the promotion of international networking, educational opportunities, and multidisciplinary engagement within the photonics community. He envisions the Society as a bridge connecting innovation, education, and application, ensuring photonics remains a central driver of technological progress.
Juerg Leuthold, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Professor Juerg Leuthold, Ph.D., IEEE Fellow, leads the Institute of Electromagnetic Fields (IEF) at ETH Zurich, where his research spans photonics, plasmonics, and THz technologies for high-speed communications and sensing. His group has produced record-setting results in ultrafast optical modulation and detection, including a 1 THz modulator and a 500 GHz graphene-metamaterial photodetector.
A seasoned academic leader, mentor and supporter of startups and entrepreneurship, Leuthold has previously served as Director of Studies and now as Department Head at ETH Zurich, where he has reformed study programs, faculty appointment processes or energy conservation programs. His leadership extends internationally through roles on advisory boards, the Helmholtz Association Think Tank, and leadership roles in organizing and chairing major photonics conferences including ECOC and CLEO.
As a newly elected member, Leuthold aims to strengthen the Society’s publication and conference ecosystem, improving timeliness, affordability, and visibility of research outputs. He also advocates for greater public and political awareness of photonics’ societal impact and for identifying emerging fields and technologies to keep IEEE Photonics at the cutting edge.
Paul Crump, Ferdinand-Braun-Institut (FBH), Germany
Paul Crump, Ph.D. leads the High-Power Diode Lasers Lab at the Ferdinand-Braun-Institut and serves as Visiting Professor of High Power Photonics at the University of Glasgow. His work focuses on advancing the power, efficiency, and brightness of GaAs-based diode lasers for applications ranging from additive manufacturing to inertial fusion energy.
An active volunteer and IEEE Senior Member within the IEEE Photonics Society, Crump has chaired the Globalization Committee and served in leadership roles across multiple conferences including CLEO, ISLC, and the IEEE High Power Diode Lasers and Systems Conference. He has also contributed as associate and senior editor of IEEE Photonics Journal and guest editor for special issues of Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics (JSTQE) and Photonics Journal.
In his elected member statement, Crump underscored the importance of fostering global collaboration, supporting photonics development in emerging regions, and promoting knowledge transfer across generations of researchers. He also advocates for initiatives that support scientists’ well-being and professional growth, recognizing that innovation thrives in communities that care for their people as much as their technologies.
