Menu ☰

Back to Top

Physics History Network

Over 1000 biographies of physicists and histories of institutions with information pertaining to their lives, careers, and research.

Tip: Search within this page by using Ctrl + F or ⌘ + F


Search Our Catalogs

Archives Books

Collections

Emilio Segré Visual Archives Digital Collections Oral Histories Archival Finding Aids Physics History Network Member Society Portals Ethical Cataloging Statement

Preservation and Support

Donating Materials Suggest a Book Purchase Saving Archival Collections Grants to Archives Documentation Projects History Newsletters

Center for History of Physics

Scholarship & Outreach

Main Navigation

HomeAboutTopic GuidesFeedback

Table of Contents

Biography

AbstractImportant DatesOccupationPlacesSubjects

Relationships

Institutions

Resources

Archival as AuthorArchival as Subject

Don R. Scifres

Photo

Dates

September 10, 1946 – present

Authorized Form of Name

Scifres, Don R.

Biography

Abstract

Don Scifres is Founder and Managing Director of SDL Ventures, LLC and SDL Capital (2003-present). Other institutional affiliations include Xerox Corporation. His research interests include electro-optics, semiconductor lasers, and light emitting diodes.

Important Dates

September 10, 1946Birth, Lafayette (Ind.).

1968Obtained BSEE, Purde University, West Lafayette (Ind.).

1970Obtained MS in Electrical Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana (Ill.).

1972Obtained PhD in Electrical Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana (Ill.).

1972 – 1983Research Fellow and Manager of Optoelectronics, Palo Alto Research Center (PARC), Xerox Corporation, Palo Alto (Calif.).

1983 – 2001President and Chief Executive Officer, Spectra Diode Laboratories (SDL), Inc., San Jose (Calif.).

1997Awarded George E. Pake Prize, American Physical Society.

2001 – 2003Chief Strategy Officer and Co-Chair, Board of Directors, JDS Uniphase Corporation.

2003 – presentFounder and Managing Director, SDL Ventures, LLC and SDL Capital, Mountain View (Calif.).

Occupation

Electrical engineer.

Places

Birth

Lafayette (Ind.)

Undergraduate Education

West Lafayette (Ind.)

Graduate Education

Urbana (Ill.)

Employment

Palo Alto (Calif.)

San Jose (Calif.)

Mountain View (Calif.)

Subjects

Diodes.

Electrical engineering.

Electrooptics.

Lasers.

Optics.

Physics -- Industrial applications.

Relationships

Institutions

Major Positions

JDS Uniphase Corporation

Chief Strategy Officer and Co-Chair, Board of Directors.

SDL Ventures and SDL Capital

Founder and Managing Director.

Spectra Diode Laboratories Inc.

President and Chief Executive Officer.

Xerox Corporation. Palo Alto Research Center

Research Fellow and Manager of Optoelectronics.

Professional Activities & Affiliations

American Physical Society

Received 1997 George E. Pake Prize.

Purdue University. School of Engineering

Obtained BSEE (1968).

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Department of Electrical Engineering

Obtained MS (1970) and PhD (1972).

Resources

Archival Resources

Author

Don R. Scifres response to Laser History Project Survey, 1984.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Don R. Scifres, 2007 December 11.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Subject

AIP Center for History of Physics responses to Laser History Project Survey, 1983.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA