"I am so honored to be included in this impressive group of enormously talented and successful women engineers and scientists," said Czajkowski. "I was extremely lucky to grow up in an atmosphere where my aptitude in both science and mathematics was not only recognized and nurtured at a young age, but also mentored throughout my university studies."

After obtaining her Master's in Optical Sciences from the University of Arizona, College of Optical Science and a BA in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Rochester, Ms. Czajkowski began her career at Edmund Optics as an Optical Engineering Intern in their Tucson, AZ facility. After working as a thin-film engineer in their Pennsburg, PA plant, she was promoted to her current position as a Thin-Film Engineer. Czajkowski was a keynote speaker at The Symposium on Advanced Bio-Optics in Hong Kong in 2010 and has been a technical presenter at several conferences and workshops in the US and overseas. She has written technical articles on bio-optics and co-authored the SPIE Infrared Technology & Applications XXXVII: "Refractive Lens Design for Simultaneous SWIR Imaging."

"We are immensely proud of Amber's achievements. She is truly an inspiration to an upcoming generation of young female scientists and engineers," stated Marisa Edmund, Executive Vice President of Marketing.

The Women in Optics Planner has grown to be a tool for introducing girls and young women to the possibilities of careers in all sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The increasing demand for the planner has demonstrated a growing interest in learning about women in the sciences and the need for female role models in technical fields.

To read more about Ms. Czajkowski and her advice to young women considering a career in STEM, please visit SPIE Women in Optics Planner.