Susan Nicole Houde-Walter (born 20 August 1954) is an academic and technical executive in the field of optics. She was Professor of Optics at the University of Rochester from 1987-2005. She is now running LaserMaxDefense, a manufacturer of laser equipment for military and law enforcement. She served as president of the Optical Society in 2005 and has travelled extensively with the US military. Currently, she is the Director of the Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science at the Rochester Institute of Technology.