The Optical Society Announces 2017 OSA Optical Design & Fabrication Congress Highlights

Plenary to feature three optics experts discussing innovations in optical design technologies  

Optical design and fabrication play an ever-increasing role in our modern society as more applications for optics are developed, especially in the areas of imaging, sensing and illumination systems. Advances in optical design and fabrication have led to the ability to utilize modern design tools to reduce cost, augment manufacturability, and enhance system performance in a wide variety applications.

The 2017 OSA Optical Design and Fabrication Congress will bring together scientists, engineers, and designers together so they can interact and learn in both informal and formal settings. These settings include three topical meetings (Freeform Optics, International Optical Design Conferenceand Optical Fabrication and Testing) that highlight recent advances in imaging, sensing and illumination system design and novel optical fabrication and testing techniques. The three meetings will feature 41 invited speakers and over 140 presentations as well as short courses that provide high quality content for attendees.

The 2017 Congress will begin with a plenary program featuring keynote addresses from Patrick McCarthy, Director of the Giant Magellan Telescope Project, Joshua Smith, Director of the Gravitational-Wave Physics and Astronomy Center (GWPAC), , and Jannick Rolland, Brian J. Thompson Professor of Optical Engineering at the University of Rochester and Director of the NSF I/UCRC Center for Freeform Optics (CeFO). Additional details can be found below.

• What: OSA Optical Design and Fabrication Congress 
• When: Sunday, 9 July to Thursday, 13 July
• Where: Marriott City Center, Denver, Colorado, United States

Highlights include: 

Congress Plenary Session featuring three speakers discussing topics of interest to all attendees. The plenary takes place at 8:00 MDT on 10 July.  

• Patrick McCarthy, Giant Magellan Telescope Project
• Joshua Smith, Gravitational-Wave Physics and Astronomy Center
• Jannick Rolland, University of Rochester, USA

Closing the Wage Gap - AAUW Work Smart Salary Negotiation – Sponsored by The OSA Foundation and American Association of University Women, this interactive workshop will focus on closing the wage gap and providing attendees resources to help negotiate for a new job, raise or promotion. The workshop will focus on key concepts for success such as, identifying and articulating your personal value, developing an arsenal of persuasive responses and conducting objective market research to benchmark a target salary and benefits. The workshop will be held at 12:30 MDT on 10 July and is open to OSA members. Those wishing to attend need to RSVP.

Congress Bar-B-Que – Open to committee/presenting author/student and full conference attendees, the event offers the chance for attendees to enjoy delectable fare while networking. The Bar-B-Que takes place on 10 July from 18:00 – 20:00 MDT.

Creating Effective Conference Posters – This interactive lunch and learn program will focus on enhancing communication and best practices in poster creation and presentation to help attendees creating more effective conference posters. The event takes place on 11 July at 12:30 MDT and is hosted by the OSA Foundation. The session is open to OSA members and those wishing to attend should RSVP online (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfWn3Vlfc6k_kZd55kL0do8ZqGYWZPvIQLZ5Slt_qVCb5drzw/viewform?c=0&w=1&usp=send_form).

Registration Information
Credentialed media and analysts who wish to cover the OSA Optical Design and Fabrication Congress can receive a full-access conference media badge by contacting MediaRelations@osa.org.

About The Optical Society
Founded in 1916, The Optical Society (OSA) is the leading professional organization for scientists, engineers, students and business leaders who fuel discoveries, shape real-life applications and accelerate achievements in the science of light. Through world-renowned publications, meetings and membership initiatives, OSA provides quality research, inspired interactions and dedicated resources for its extensive global network of optics and photonics experts. For more information, visit osa.org.