Southborough, MA – August 3, 2026 

Block Engineering, a developer of mid-infrared quantum cascade lasers and chemical detection systems, is pleased to announce that Dr. Denzil Vaughn has joined its executive team as Chief Operating Officer. 

Dr. Vaughn was recently with Thermo Fisher Scientific where he served as Vice President and General Manager over several businesses across the Analytical Instruments and Laboratory Products groups. Earlier in his career he held corporate strategy, product management, and R&D roles with Cabot, Dupont, and Astex. 

Dr. Vaughn holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from MIT, a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Harvard, and an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. 

Chairman and CEO of Block, Daniel J. Cavicchio, Jr, said: "We are very happy that Denzil has chosen to join our team and work with me and our Board to execute a rapid growth strategy based on the many attractive applications of our QCLs. He brings detailed knowledge of the mid-infrared spectroscopy market and has a proven track record of commercializing and growing analytical instruments." 

Dr. Vaughn also commented: "Block has built the industry's leading quantum cascade laser technology over more than two decades. I'm honored to join Dan, the Board, and the broader Block Engineering team to help drive the company's next phase of growth."