Duncan Moore, professor of optics, biomedical engineering and business administration at the University of Rochester, has been named a Fellow of the IEEE, one of the world's leading professional organizations for technology advancement. Originally an acronym for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the IEEE today is usually only referred to by its letters, as its membership as well as its scientific and technological scope encompass a diverse range of fields. Moore is one of only three IEEE members from upstate New York named as fellows in 2009.
Elevation of IEEE members to fellow status honors the endeavors of scientists and engineers who have made significant contributions to the advancement of engineering, science and technology, as well as a broad, positive impact on society. Moore has been recognized for his important work on gradient-index – or GRIN – optical systems and his contributions to optical technologies for the Hubble Space Telescope. Unlike a typical lens that redirects light based on its curved optical surfaces and homogenous structure, a GRIN lens has flat surfaces and an index of refraction that varies across its thickness allowing light to effectively travel through it in a curved path. Applications for GRIN lenses have been the central focus of the Rochester-based Gradient Lens Corporation, which Moore founded in 1980. Moore also chaired the Hubble Independent Optical Review Panel in 1990 that successfully determined the correct prescription to compensate for an aberration in the telescope's primary mirror.