David Haefner
Adjunct Professor of Optical Sciences
Affiliation
Physicist and Electrical Engineer, C5ISR Center, Research & Technology Integration (RTI)
About
Dr. Haefner serves as an Adjunct Professor in the Wyant College of Optical Sciences while maintaining his primary position as Chief Scientist for EO-IR Metrology at the U.S. Army C5ISR Center. This adjunct appointment formalizes his ongoing mentorship of IR Group graduate students and facilitates collaborative research in electro-optical and infrared sensor characterization. Students working with Dr. Haefner gain hands-on experience with state-of-the-art measurement techniques and exposure to real-world applications of EO-IR characterization.
Awards and Honors
- SPIE Senior Member, 2025
- SPIE DCS Best Paper (IR Imaging System Conference), 2016, 2018, 2023, 2024
- SPIE Rising Researcher Award, 2020
- OSA Spotlight on Optics, 2015
- CREOL Student of the Year, 2010
- SPIE Educational Scholarship in Optical Science and Engineering, 2009
Degrees
- Ph.D., Optics, University of Central Florida, College of Optics and Photonics (CREOL), 2010
- M.S., Data Analytics (AI/ML), Catholic University of America, 2025
- M.S., Mechanical Engineering, Catholic University of America, 2015
- M.S., Electrical Engineering, Catholic University of America, 2014
- M.S., Optics, University of Central Florida, College of Optics and Photonics (CREOL), 2007
- B.S., Physics (minor: Mathematics), East Tennessee State University, 2004