Dr. John J. Pouch is a research engineer in the Antenna, Microwave, and Optical Systems Branch of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field in Cleveland, Ohio. His current activities include managing projects on new optical communications technologies. These efforts are being carried out by academia and industry.

Dr. Pouch earned his bachelor’s and doctoral degrees in physics, with a Ph.D. minor degree in mathematics, from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, in 1975 and 1981, respectively. He has coauthored over 55 papers in scientific journals and proceedings volumes, and over 75 presentations at national and international conferences. Dr. Pouch has also coedited 5 books (13 volumes) and 2 conference proceedings volumes. The subjects include amorphous semiconductors, high-temperature superconductors, and plasma processing. He has co-organized several national and international conferences covering materials science. Along with his colleagues, Dr. Pouch has conducted research in surface science, plasma etching, and deposition. His work in the reactive ion etching of silicon carbide thin films resulted in extremely smooth, etched surfaces. This achievement enabled the NASA silicon carbide research group to fabricate the Agency’s first operational diode based on the new material. Dr. Pouch came to NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1983.