Guenther let the light shine on New Mexico.(Business)

Byline: Sherry Robinson srobinson@abqtrib.com / 823-3632

In the quiet world of science, Art Guenther is a rare bird.

Few people have done as much to advance the field of optics and the state of New Mexico as he has. That's why the most important awards received over a long and distinguished career aren't hanging on his wall they're jobs past, present and future created directly or indirectly by Guenther's efforts in the state.

"He's a world-class gentleman," says Bob Breault, himself a scientist and founder of the Tucson optics cluster. "He's one of the giants. He has his heart and soul in it for the optics industry. He truly is that well-respected. He's a caretaker and a nurturer and also a creator."

Guenther, former chief scientist of the Air Force Weapons Laboratory and science adviser to three governors, coined the term and advanced the concept of the Rio Grande Research Corridor. He's held posts with Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories, enjoys an international reputation for his work and is now a research professor at the University of New Mexico's Center for High Technology Materials.

"A lot of what I'm doing is because it's fun," he says. "And because it's payback time. I'm not leaving New Mexico."

You might think Guenther was one of those kids with a microscope in his bedroom and a telescope in the back yard. But, no.