Dr. Steve E. Watkins, professor of electrical and computer engineering, is one of 73 new fellows of SPIE, the International Society for Optics and Photonics.  He is being recognized for his achievements in sensor research at the SPIE Smart Structures and Nondestructive Evaluation Conference today (Tuesday, March 6) in Denver.

Approximately 1,300 SPIE members have been promoted to fellow status since the society’s inception in 1955. SPIE’s mission is to advance light-based technologies. It serves more than 235,000 constituents from approximately 155 countries.

Watkins joined S&T’s faculty in 1989 and is a member of S&T’s Academy of Electrical and Computer Engineers. His activities include curriculum development, public policy, pre-college outreach and pedagogical scholarship. He has served as a distinguished visiting professor at the U.S. Air Force Academy, an Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)-USA congressional fellow, a U.S. Air Force visiting physicist, and a visiting scholar in Japan. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Missouri S&T and a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin, all in electrical engineering.

Watkins’ technical work includes interdisciplinary investigation in the use of fiber-optic sensors for structural and materials sensing. He led project coordination of the smart composite bridge on S&T’s campus.

Watkins serves the optics community in many ways. He has participated in SPIE as a member of the membership committee and as an author and reviewer. His other professional activities include volunteer positions with IEEE and the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE).  He is the 2018 president of IEEE-Eta Kappa Nu (HKN), the honor society for IEEE.