image: Dr. Michael Davis has been named a Fellow of the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE), recognizing his expertise in developing ultraviolet spectrographs for space.
Credit: Southwest Research Institute
SAN ANTONIO — January 14, 2026 — Southwest Research Institute’s (SwRI) Dr. Michael Davis has been named a Fellow of the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE).
Davis is an astrophysicist who specializes in the design and testing of space instruments including those used for ultraviolet (UV) imaging and spectroscopy of remote planets, galactic astrophysics, and Earth’s plasmasphere. He was named a senior member of SPIE in 2021, and this latest honor puts him in the most elite category of membership.
Founded in 1955, SPIE promotes the global optics and photonics community through conferences, publications and professional development. The international organization includes engineers, scientists, students and industry leaders to advance light-based science and technologies.
“I am deeply honored to be named a Fellow of SPIE,” Davis said. “This recognition reflects the collaborative efforts of many colleagues during my time at SwRI. I am grateful to be part of a community like SPIE that continues to advance optical science and engineering.”
Davis has integrated and tested UV instrumentation for over 20 years, including a family of spectrographs first developed for the New Horizons mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt. Davis is the optics, detector and calibration scientist for the increasingly powerful instruments aboard NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and Juno mission to Jupiter. Davis is also the instrument scientist for the two UV spectrographs en route to the Jupiter system to study its moons — aboard the European Space Agency’s Juice and NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft. He also supported field operations for multiple sounding rocket investigations early in his career.
Davis was honored by SPIE as a Community Champion in 2019, and he was a co-recipient of the SPIE George W. Goddard Award in 2017 for his work on the New Horizons Optical Instrumentation Team. Davis will receive a trophy and be recognized at this year’s SPIE Optics and Photonics conference.
For more information, visit https://www.swri.org/markets/earth-space/space-research-technology.