William H. Steier in his lab. (Photo credit: Venice Tang)
William H. Steier, holder of the William M. Hogue Professorship in Electrical Engineering at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering and an internationally recognized pioneer in polymer photonics and fiber optics, died Nov. 9 at his San Marino residence. He was 92.
Steier’s groundbreaking research in electro-optic polymer materials revolutionized optical communications, enabling bandwidth increases that form the foundation of modern high-speed internet infrastructure. Working with chemist Larry Dalton and the USC Loker Hydrocarbon Institute, his research team designed devices that could translate electrical signals into optical signals 10 times faster while using only a fraction of the power of existing technology.
Born May 25, 1933, in Indiana, Steier earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Evansville before completing his master’s and doctorate at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, in 1960. After beginning his academic career as an assistant professor at Illinois, he joined Bell Laboratories in Holmdel, New Jersey, in 1962, where he contributed to the nascent field of fiber optic communications and collaborated on the first demonstration of phase locking of lasers.
In 1968, Steier joined USC’s electrical engineering faculty, where he would spend 46 years shaping the department and advancing the field of photonics. He served as department chair from 1970 to 1984, a transformative period during which he established multiple research centers and built USC’s reputation as a leader in optical engineering.
Throughout his tenure, Steier directed the Joint Services Electronics Program, co-directed the Center for the Integration of Optical Computing and served as principal investigator of the DARPA National Center for Integrated Photonic Technology. His work extended beyond terrestrial applications when NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory selected his 60-gigahertz electro-optic modulator for a deep-space telescope mission. The device, bearing a gold USC School of Engineering logo etched by photolithography, was designed to help maintain micron-level precision in satellite positioning across distances of six miles in space.
The collaborative research team Steier led at USC, working with colleagues at the University of Washington, developed polymer modulators requiring less than one volt to operate, compared with 4 to 5 volts for traditional technology. This breakthrough, achieved through close collaboration among chemists, electrical engineers and optical engineers over nearly a decade, enabled applications ranging from broadband telecommunications networks to optical gyroscopes in airborne guidance systems.
His research group published more than 300 papers and conference proceedings spanning optical communications, nonlinear optics and polymer materials. In his later career, Steier focused particularly on developing polymer integrated optical devices that could be manufactured cost-effectively through molding or embossing techniques, opening pathways for commercial applications.
The University of Illinois honored Steier with its Distinguished Alumni Award in 2002, recognizing his contributions to lasers, photonics and fiber optics, as well as his outstanding leadership in engineering. He was named a Life Fellow of IEEE and a Fellow of the Optical Society of America. USC recognized his achievements with the School of Engineering Faculty Service Award in 1985 and the Senior Faculty Research Award in 1996.
Steier remained active in the field throughout his career, serving as guest editor for special issues on polymer optical applications and presenting at international conferences well into the 21st century. He partnered with Pacific Wave Industries in west Los Angeles to commercialize his electro-optic technology. In a 2002 interview about the NASA mission, Steier acknowledged he might not live to see the telescope’s results, but expressed satisfaction knowing his device would help answer questions “that people have pondered around campfires for millennia.”
He mentored numerous doctoral students who went on to faculty positions at universities worldwide, helping establish USC’s electrical engineering program as a training ground for the next generation of photonics researchers. In 2014, USC held a symposium and dinner celebrating his 46 years of service to the university, attended by approximately 120 colleagues, former students and collaborators.
Steier retired from USC in 2014 after a career that spanned the evolution of optical communications from its early theoretical foundations to its current ubiquity in global telecommunications infrastructure. His work enabled the high-speed data transmission that powers today’s internet, streaming video and cloud computing applications.
Published on December 17th, 2025
Last updated on January 5th, 2026
