Curriculum Vitae

Business Address: MetroLaser Inc., 18010 Skypark Circle, #100, Irvine, CA. 92614, USA

Dr. Trolinger is an optical physicist who has devoted his entire career to the pioneering development and fielding of laser-based, state-of-the-art, optical diagnostic methods. During the past 30 years he cofounded two successful, high-technology, optical companies, Spectron Development Laboratories Inc. (with Dr. C.W. Busch) acquired by Titan Corp. in 1986, and MetroLaser Inc. (with Dr. C. F. Hess) where he has worked since 1988. Spectron grew to a 75 man company before being acquired. MetroLaser, was named National Small Business Prime Contractor of the Year in 1996. He and his science teams pioneered many applications of lasers in particle and flow diagnostics beginning with the first application of holographic particle image velocimetry (published in 1968) followed by over 100 publications of developments and applications in holography, laser Doppler velocimetry, particle sizing, non-destructive testing, interferometry, spectroscopy, and aero-optics. He has given over 30 invited lectures to audiences in 10 countries at meetings sponsored by SPIE, AIAA, AGARD, OSA, ISA, ARA and others. He serves on the editorial advisory board for three professional journals. In 1998 Dr. Trolinger was selected by NASA to be the Principal Investigator for the space flight program "SHIVA" (Spaceflight Holography Investigation in a Virtual Apparatus). Dr. Trolinger received his Bachelors Degree in Engineering Physics from the University of Tennessee, his Master’s Degree in physics from The Louisiana State University and his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Tennessee.

Dr. Trolinger received a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Tennessee in 1967. His education was integrated with eight years of Co-Op Student and work training in optical diagnostics at the U.S. Air Force Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC), where he began his professional career. During this time lasers were invented and became commercially available and he recognized and acted on the opportunity to apply coherent optics in aerodynamic measurements at AEDC, forming and leading a team that developed some of the first techniques for using lasers to measure flow field properties in wind tunnels. The group quickly expanded into the fields of combustion and pollution diagnostics, particle and flow field holography, laser Doppler and particle sizing methods and non destructive testing..

During this period he also served on the faculty of the University of Tennessee at the Space Institute, teaching and helping to create some of the first programs and courses in coherent optics and holography.

In subsequent years the new optical diagnostic methods were ultimately extended by Trolinger and his teams to applications in a wide range of hostile environments including outdoor ranges, weather observatories, aircraft and spacecraft.

Recognizing the opportunity and need to broaden the research and to spread the technology to a wider audience, Trolinger left AEDC in 1973 and entered the commercial world. During the next 25 years he achieved this by cofounding two successful, high-technology, optical companies, Spectron Development Laboratories Inc. (acquired by Titan Corp. in 1986) and MetroLaser Inc. (where he has worked since 1988). Spectron grew to a 75 man company in 12 years before being acquired. MetroLaser is a 45 man company employing 12 Ph.D’s that was named National Small Business Prime Contractor of the Year in 1996. In the past two years MetroLaser has given financial support for optical engineering research to the following fourteen universities: UC. Irvine, UC San Diego, U.C. Davis, U.C. Riverside, Cal Tech, Stanford, Vanderbilt, Georgia Tech, Alabama A&M, U of Alabama, U of North Carolina, U. of Arizona, U. of Connecticut, Wayne State U.

He and his science teams pioneered many of the applications of lasers in particle and flow diagnostics beginning with the first application of holographic particle image velocimetry (published in 1968) followed by over 100 publications of developments and applications in holography, laser Doppler velocimetry, particle sizing, non-destructive testing, interferometry, spectroscopy, and aero-optics. Teams directed by Dr. Trolinger were the first Americans to employ holography in hypersonic wind tunnels (1967), internal combustion engines (1970), airplanes (1974) and spacecraft (1985). He received the SPIE George W. Goddard award in 1992 for his contributions to optics in aerospace. More recent technical achievements include development of "Optically Smart Surfaces", a novel procedure for applying holograms to surfaces for purposes of measurement and security (patented in 1997), and many other advances in applied holography (see publications). These include pioneering work in phase shifting holographic interferometry and resonant holographic interferometry.

Throughout his career he has contributed to the advancement, promotion, and teaching of optical measurement technology. He has given over 30 invited lectures to audiences in 10 countries at meetings sponsored by SPIE, AIAA, AGARD, OSA, ISA, and others. He has lectured in many short courses sponsored by several universities and SPIE including The University of Tennessee, The University of Michigan, The Von Karmen Institute, and The National University of Columbia. He has been active in SPIE for over 25 years, serving as both General Chairman and Co-chairman every year during the past ten years, founding two conferences, teaching short courses, serving as member of the Fellows selection committee for three years and chairing the committee this year. International activities with SPIE including co-chairing joint conferences in Japan (1998), Ukraine(1997), Germany (1996 and 1999), and France (1966). He serves on the editorial advisory board for three professional journals.

He has published over 100 papers on the application of lasers in measurement.

In addition to supervising a wide range of research in laser applications to diagnostics Dr. Trolinger is directly involved in making laser measurements in space. He and his team performed optical diagnostics on crystal growth in space during the Spacelab 3 mission in 1984 and The International Microgravity Laboratory in 1993. In 1998 Dr. Trolinger was selected by NASA to be the Principal Investigator for the space flight program "SHIVA" (Spaceflight Holography Investigation in a Virtual Apparatus). The concept uses holography to essentially transfer the experiment from the space environment back to earth where phenomena can be examined in much greater detail in a "virtual spaceflight apparatus".

Email: jtrolinger@metrolaserinc.com Home Page: www.metrolaserinc.com

B.S. Engineering Physics University of Tennessee, 1963

M.S. Physics Louisiana State University, 1964

Ph.D. Physics University of Tennessee, 1967

Coherent optics, holography, and laser applications. Over 100 publications in referenced technical journals.

1988-Pres. MetroLaser. Irvine, CA. Co-founder and Director of Research.

Successfully applied optical diagnostics on location in the following US government laboratories:

· NASA Ames Research Center

· NASA Langley Research Center

· NASA Marshall Space Flight Center

· NASA Kennedy Space Flight Center

· NASA Johnson Space Flight Center

· NASA Microgravity Space Lab.

· USAF Arnold Center

· USAF Weapons Laboratory

· USAF Anderson AF Base (from an airborne WB57)

· USAF Wright Aeronautical Laboratory

· US Army Kwajalein Missile Range (from an airborne Cessna)

· US Army Redstone Arsenal

· US Army Flight Mechanics Lab.

· US Army Picatinny Arsenal

· US Army Cold Regions Res. Lab.

· Idaho National Eng. Lab.

· Lawrence Livermore Lab.