Timothy J. Bunning is a Principal Materials Research Engineer in the Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, part of the Air Force Research Laboratory. Dr. Bunning received a Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut in Chemical Engineering. 

His current research interests are centered on the optical, electro-optical, and photo-optical performance of structured polymeric and liquid crystalline materials. Central research areas include the development of 1-, 2-, and 3-D switchable polymeric diffractive structures using complex holographic photopolymerization techniques, development of novel polymeric thin films using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition, phototunable materials based on azo-materials including thin film actuators, and phototunable cholesteric LC materials.

He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and SPIE (Society for Optical Engineering) and received the APS Dillon Medal. He research credentials include 230+ technical publications (150 peer-reviewed), 420+ presentations (>140 invited presentations, 12 patents, and several book chapters and edited books.  He is active in several technical communities including the Materials Research Society, American Chemical Society, SPIE, and the American Physical Society.