Albany, NY, Jan. 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The New York Center for Research, Economic Advancement, Technology, Engineering and Science (NY CREATES) today announced that Dr. John Bowers, AIM Photonics’ Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Distinguished Professor at the University of California Santa Barbara, will serve as Acting Executive Director beginning February 1. Dr. Bowers will assume the interim role after the current CEO, Dr. Michael J. Cumbo, leaves his position at the end of this month to join Artemis Capital Partners. A nationwide search for a new CEO will commence next week.
Additionally, Mr. Cumbo will continue his involvement with AIM, serving as a special advisor to the AIM leadership team.
“We thank Michael for his work leading AIM Photonics in 2020, and the business-like approach he established for the institute’s management and operations will have a lasting, positive impact,” said NY CREATES President Dr. Doug Grose. “In Dr. Bowers, we could not ask for a better interim leader and we have an experienced and highly capable team. Together, this team will continue to make significant contributions to advance the integrated photonics industry for years to come.”
“It was a privilege to lead AIM Photonics during the past seven months. I am even more impressed today with the capabilities and dedication of this team than I was when I first joined it,” said Dr. Michael J. Cumbo, CEO, AIM Photonics. “My decision to step down as the CEO is driven entirely by personal factors. I remain convinced of the vital importance of AIM’s mission to advance integrated photonic circuit manufacturing technology in the United States, and I look forward to continuing to be involved in an advisory capacity.”
During this transition, Dr. Bowers – a member of AIM Photonics leadership since the institution’s inception – will serve as Acting Executive Director; and NY CREATES President Dr. Grose will oversee day-to-day operations, financial, and administrative functions, with the assistance of key AIM and NY CREATES staff.
Dr. John Bowers, Distinguished Professor at UCSB, Deputy CEO and Acting Executive Director of AIM Photonics said, “AIM Photonics is beginning to have a significant impact on the world of integrated photonics, but it is only the beginning and Michael’s leadership has AIM well-positioned to accomplish much more in the years to come. While this is certainly a loss, it has been pleasure to have an individual of Mike’s qualifications leading the organization.”
A vital component of NY CREATES is AIM Photonics – the Albany and Rochester-based national manufacturing institute with more than 126 consortium members, including those focused on data communications, sensors, quantum and neuromorphic computing. AIM featured services include the industry leading Process Design Kit (PDK), Multi Project Wafer (MPW), and the Test, Assembly and Packaging (TAP) facility in Rochester, New York. AIM’s comprehensive set of silicon Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) devices are enabling the implementation of next-generation products.
NY CREATES recently announced it would receive $19 million in research program awards for advanced integrated photonics under The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) Lasers for Universal Microscale Optical Systems (LUMOS) program. The LUMOS program will enable efficient on-chip optical gain in highly capable integrated photonics platforms. The DARPA contract will support a team of academic, industrial, and government partners, led by AIM Photonics, and continues the growth and expansion of this critical Department of Defense funded manufacturing institute.
About NY CREATES
NY CREATES serves as New York’s bridge to the advanced electronics industry. As the primary resource for fostering public-private and academic partnerships in New York State, NY CREATES attracts and leads industry connected innovation and commercialization projects that secure significant investment, advance R&D in emerging technologies, and generate the jobs of tomorrow. NY CREATES runs some of the most advanced facilities in the world, boasts more than 2,700 industry experts and faculty, and manages public and private investments of more than $20 billion – placing it at the global epicenter of high-tech innovation and commercialization. Learn more at www.NY-CREATES.org.
About AIM Photonics
AIM Photonics is one of several Manufacturing Innovation Institutes, an industry-driven public-private partnership that focuses the nation’s premiere capabilities and expertise to capture critical global manufacturing leadership in a technology that is both essential to national security and positioned to provide a compelling return-on-investment to the U.S. economy. Learn more at www.AIMPhotonics.com
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