The SETI Institute (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence)

What is life? How does it begin? Are we alone?   These are some of the questions we ask in our quest to learn about and share the wonders of the universe.

The mission of the SETI Institute is to explore, understand and explain the origin and nature of life in the universe and the evolution of intelligence.

Founded in 1984 and Headquartered in Mountain View, California, the SETI Institute  employs more than 130 scientists, educators, and administrative staff focused on their passion for discovery and passing knowledge along to the world as scientific ambassadors.

Please join us as Bill Diamond familiarizes us with the work of the SETI Institute and the important research and future development efforts that will greatly impact us in our quest for understanding life in the universe.

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Bill Diamond is President and CEO of the SETI Institute, which he joined in 2015.  He has worked predominantly in applied technologies with over 20 years’ experience in photonics and optical communications, and more than a decade in X-ray and semiconductor processing technologies.   His corporate background spans the spectrum from venture-backed start-ups to Fortune 100 multinationals, with responsibilities ranging from R&D, engineering and operations, to sales, marketing, product management, and CEO positions.  

Most recently, Bill was Vice President of Sales for Oclaro, Inc. where he led the company’s penetration in optical networking of the rapidly evolving Web 2.0 Data Center market.  Prior to that, he was Vice President of Product Management for optical amplifiers, ROADM, high bit-rate modules, and micro-optics.

Bill held CEO positions at WaveSplitter Technologies, DenseLight Semiconductor, and Xradia, Inc., now part of Zeiss.  His photonics background also includes six years with AT&T Bell Laboratory’s Optoelectronics business unit and he served as President of US operations for the Swiss technology company, Comet A.G. 

Bill holds a B.A. in Physics from Holy Cross College and a Master’s in Business Administration from Georgetown University. He is a past member of the Advisory Board for the McDonough School of Business Administration at Georgetown and is a current member of the Optical Society of America and the International Astronomical Congress.

Chairperson: Mike Orbin

Invocation:  Rolf Schlake