Michael J. Lurie was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1938. He earned a B.S. in physics from Brooklyn College in 1959, an M.S. in physics from Rutgers University in 1961, and a D. Eng. Sci. from Newark College of Engineering in 1967. While teaching electrical engineering at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (formerly Newark College), Lurie consulted for RCA Astro-Electronics on the use of TV circuits for the TIROS weather satellite. A short time later, RCA hired Lurie permanently to do research on noise in holographic systems at the David Sarnoff Research Center (DSRC). Lurie’s work encompassed optical, electronic, and computer-controlled systems, leading to his promotion to Project Leader for the development of lasers used for testing VideoDiscs. After DSRC became the Sarnoff Corporation, Lurie’s work focused on CCD cameras and advanced monitor displays.

Lurie received three RCA Outstanding Achievement Awards and was instrumental in developing the computer-controlled TV camera that won an Emmy for technical excellence. He is a member of the Optical Society of America, IEEE, and Eta Kappa Nu, and holds nine patents. Lurie retired from the Sarnoff Corporation sometime after 2000.