Guided Wave News / By Janell Leysath

Guided Wave recently announced the retirement of Corporate Fellow Dr. Terry Todd. Terry was celebrated with a farewell party at the end of 2019 where the entire staff thanked him for his over 27 years of dedication to the company. Susan Foulk, Guided Wave President, stated: “Terry’s vision, knowledge and leadership have been instrumental in our success and we sincerely thank him for all he has done and taught us throughout the years.”

With more than 40 years’ experience in infrared molecular spectroscopy and radiation physics, Terry specialized in optical and spectroscopic instrument design for industrial applications. At Guided Wave since 1992, he was responsible for developing new NIR and UV-VIS analyzer technology and applications. While at Guided Wave Terry was at the forefront of all new product development and introduction, from the introduction of the Hydrogen Peroxide Monitor in 1997 to the release of the NIR-O spectrometer in 2018.  During this time (1998) Terry also re-engineered the Single-Sided Transmission (SST) process insertion probe to improve the optical efficiency and further enhance its ruggedness and reliability. Elements of these improvements were awarded US Patent #6,043,895 (March 2000). This pursuit of continuous improvement demonstrates a fundamental aspect of Dr. Todd business practices. To this day, the SST remains one of the most copied, reliable, rugged, and efficient process insertion probes available and is still producing robust sales after more than 28 years in the marketplace. Author of several technical publications and conference presentations, Terry also taught NIR spectroscopy to Guided Wave customers and sales representatives.

Terry received a BS in Mathematics from Northern Illinois University in 1969. He followed that with an MS in Physics from Penn State University in 1972 with his thesis on the emission spectrum of CO_2. In 1976 he was awarded his Ph.D. in physics also at Penn State. His emphasis was on molecular physics, infrared high-resolution spectroscopy and optics. His thesis was titled, “Spectrometer Design, Emission Spectrum of CO₂ and Secondary Wavelength Standards”.