The Grainger College of Engineering

Philip J. Anthony

Philip J. Anthony
Philip J. Anthony
To Philip J. Anthony, for seminal contributions to the technological foundations of electrooptical devices and lightwave communications systems, and for unstinting service to the Department of Physics and the College of Engineering.

Executive in Residence, Storm Ventures, Menlo Park, CA

  • BS, 1974, Physics, University of Dayton
  • MS, 1975, Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  • PhD, 1978, Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Philip J. Anthony has made pioneering contributions to photonic technologies and optical communications, including semiconductor lasers, dense wavelength division multiplexing components, optical interconnects, photonic switches, integrated optics, and optoelectronics packaging. He began his research as an undergraduate at the University of Dayton, studying properties of semiconductors. Anthony’s thesis research at Illinois, under the direction of A. C. Anderson (Physics), focused on the anomalous behavior of glasses at temperatures below 1K.

After obtaining his doctorate, Anthony joined the technical staff at Bell Laboratories. During his 20-year career at Bell, he headed three departments—Advanced Optical Components, Lightwave Device Research, and Passive Optical Component Research. In 1995, he was named head of the Photonics Research and Manufacturing Department for Bell Labs/Lucent Technologies, charged with identifying and growing new technologies. In 1997, he was appointed director of Lucent’s Passive Devices and Integrated Modules Organization, Optoelectronics Business Unit. In that position, he led five teams of scientists, engineers, and manufacturing employees. In 1998, Anthony joined E-TEK Dynamics as vice president of engineering and corporate officer. Following a merger between JDS Uniphase and E-TEK in 2000, he became president of the Amplification Products Group. Anthony currently is Executive in Residence at Storm Ventures, a Silicon Valley venture capital firm, where he provides business, management, and industry advice to Storm’s existing and prospective portfolio companies.

Anthony has been a tireless advocate for and supporter of the Department of Physics and the College of Engineering at Illinois. He has served as a valued member of the external Physics Advisory Board and has supported two undergraduate physics students in their summer research projects every year since 2005.

Current as of 2011.