SPIE Optical Systems Lab named at Monroe Community College
The new laboratory, to be built with a $150,000 investment from SPIE, will support optical technician-training programs at the Rochester-based college
SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, Monroe Community College, and the Monroe Community College Foundation have announced the naming of the SPIE Optical Systems Lab as part of the college’s new Sydor Optics Advanced Technology Center. SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, is investing $150,000 to support the lab.
Monroe Community College is the nation’s first community college to award associate degrees in optical systems technology. The SPIE Optical Systems Lab will be a critical addition to enhancing the college’s optics program, offering hands-on opportunities for the professional training of current and future technicians.
The continued growth of the optics and photonics industry depends on a steady stream of optics technicians entering the workforce, an issue that SPIE is working closely with its Members to address. The funding of the new lab at MCC, is part of a concerted effort by SPIE to work with partner institutes and organizations to build robust technician-training programs and opportunities.
In addition to offering two different technician-training related scholarship opportunities, SPIE maintains a technician-focused resources section on its website. The organization also recently launched a series of books aimed at filling an educational gap for working technicians: by combining expert-authored guidance with a tutorial-based format, SPIE aims for this book series to become an essential resource for technical education, workforce development programs, and individual learners. The hands-on, professional impact that the SPIE Optical Systems Lab will have on the optics industry as well as optics technician training now and in the future is yet another transformative new step in this area for SPIE, particularly in its relationship with Monroe Community College.
“We are extraordinarily grateful to SPIE’s partnership and for the Society’s investment in bright futures for our community,” said Monroe Community College President Dr. DeAnna R. Burt-Nanna. “When students walk into the Sydor Optics Advanced Technology Center, they will experience firsthand MCC’s commitment to providing state-of-the-art facilities that transform lives and strengthen our region – made possible through visionary industry partnerships that fuel opportunity and drive innovation.”
“SPIE is deeply committed to the future of optics and photonics technology,” said SPIE CEO Kent Rochford. “We have a particular focus on supporting the education and training of optics technicians, something we’ve already worked closely on with Monroe Community College and Professor Alexis Vogt. I’m delighted to be sharing this news today, and look forward to appreciating the work of the technicians who will be receiving hands-on training at MCC’s new SPIE Optical Systems Lab and building the optical systems of the future.”
This announcement comes just weeks before SPIE OptiFab, North America’s largest optical fabrication exhibition, returns to Rochester, bringing optics leaders from around the world together. The conference includes an exhibition with more than 150 companies and a technical program, as well as opportunities to connect with industry leaders and network with peers and colleagues.
Endowed Chair and Professor of Optics at Monroe Community College Alexis Vogt will be debuting a new course at SPIE Optifab this year: Practical Optics Foundations for the Working Technician.
SPIE OptiFab runs 20-23 October. For more information and to register, please visit our website.
About Monroe Community College
Monroe Community College (MCC), based in Monroe County, New York, was founded in 1961 and is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) System. With four main campuses, MCC offers more than 100 degree, credit, and non-credit programs. MCC is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), is a member of the League of Innovation in the Community College, and is one of ten community colleges participating in the Aspen College Institute’s Unlocking Opportunity: The Post-Graduation Success and Equity Network.
About the Monroe Community College Foundation
The Monroe Community College Foundation seeks philanthropic investment to advance achievement, innovation, and excellence at MCC.
About SPIE
SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, brings engineers, scientists, students, and business professionals together to advance light-based science and technology. The Society, founded in 1955, connects and engages with our global constituency through industry-leading conferences and exhibitions; publications of conference proceedings, books, and journals in the SPIE Digital Library; and career-building opportunities. Over the past five years, we have invested more than $25 million in the international optics community through our advocacy and support, including scholarships, educational resources, travel grants, endowed gifts, and public-policy development. www.spie.org.