OPEN Optics and Photonics Education News
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Newsletter of the Optics and Photonics College Network |
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Upcoming Events
From the Executive Director
Remembering John Greivenkamp
Help Needed: Updating DOL O*NET Photonics Technicians' Micro-Website
LASER-TEC to Award Stipends for Women in Photonics Technologies Workgroup
Supplemental Educational Resources by Optics and Photonics Companies
Engaging the Community in Photonics During Pi-Day Celebration
LASER-TEC Resources
Featured College: Northwestern Michigan College - Traverse City, MI
OPCN Member Colleges
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Opportunities for Optics and Photonics Technicians
(Apply between 01/20/22 - 04/01/22)
(Deadline to apply 04/01/22)
(Apply between 03/11/22- 06/24/22)
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Upcoming Events
02/22/2022 - 02/27/2022
San Francisco, CA + Online
03/06/2022 - 03/10/2022
San Diego, CA
03/09/2022
Online
07/25/2022 - 07/28/2022
Salt Lake City, UT
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Jobs for Graduating Students
Companies advertising openings on Indeed.com:
Electro-optics technicians: 449 nationwide
Companies:
ASML (40), Sig Sauer (23), Onto Innovation (12), MARS (10), Coherent, Inc. (10), Moore Nanotechnology Systems, LLC (9), Intuitive (9), Power Grid Engineering, LLC (8), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (8), KARL STORZ (8), Raytheon Intelligence & Space (7), Northrop Grumman (7), State of Colorado (6), nLIGHT (6), Siemens (5)
Location and number of jobs:
Livermore, CA (15), Bloomington, MN (11), San Diego, CA (11), Jacksonville, AR (11), Wilton, CT (11), Fort Smith, AR (10), Goleta, CA (8), Milpitas, CA (8), Sunnyvale, CA (8), Exeter, NH (8), Santa Clara, CA (8), Charlotte, NC (7), San Jose, CA (7), Albuquerque, NM (6), Las Vegas, NV (6)
NOTE: Very few companies use photonics as a job title for technicians. When searching, use the job title electro optics to get the best results.
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Community College Journal. Amplifying ATE. LASER-TEC creates hands-on Labs for Students to do at Home
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From the Executive Director |
February brings a positive outlook for the spring and summer as the pandemic subsides and most events return to their physical locations.
We share with great sadness the loss of our dearest friend John Greivenkamp. John was a grand champion and advocate of photonics education.
This newsletter is loaded with useful information. The U.S. Department of Labor and LASER-TEC are collaborating on the critical project of updating the Photonics Technician website on O*NET Online, and we ask for your assistance. Natalia gives us an update on the Women in Photonics Technologies project. This month, we feature excellent open educational resources from Edmund Optics, MKS Instruments, and Thorlabs. A few scholarships and award opportunities are available; share them with your students. An outreach and recruiting opportunity is coming up on March 14 (3.14) - Pi Day, with suggestions and resources. We continue with a reminder about the large selection of LASER-TEC resources available to all on our website. Northwestern Michigan College is February’s featured photonics program.
Also, don’t forget to look at the upcoming events on the left column and the 449 posted job openings for electro-optics/photonics technicians nationwide; share this information with your students, counselors, and advisors.
Wishing you a great February,
Chrys Panayiotou
Fort Pierce, Florida
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Remembering John Greivenkamp |
On January 29th, we lost John Greivenkamp, a very good friend and supporter of LASER-TEC and photonics technician education. John had worked with us since 2006, from the beginning of the photonics NSF ATE grants, supporting technician education as a member of the National Visiting Committee of OP-TEC. He then continued his support of LASER-TEC as president of SPIE in 2020.
We are sending our deepest condolences to his family. As a dedication to John and to honor his memory, we linked the video lectures from his specialty course in Optical Design and Instrumentation. For more details about John and his contributions to the optics and photonics community, please read the tribute to him on the University of Arizona website.
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Help Needed: Updating DOL O*NET Photonics Technicians' Micro-Website |
As you all know, there is an urgent need to continuously examine the labor market trends and occupational details for photonics, optics, and laser technologies. We are experiencing a huge gap in the qualified technical workforce. The O*NET micro-website maintained by the U.S. Department of Labor is often the first stop for career exploration for our prospective talent.
The goal is to survey and collect data from at least 50 incumbent optics/photonics/laser technicians with over five years of relevant experience. Each participant will receive a certificate of appreciation from the U.S. Department of Labor and a $40 gift certificate.
The applications started coming in, and we thank those who responded! However, we are still far away from our goal! We are reaching out to all of you to help the DOL gather this critical information about photonics technicians’ occupational details.
O*Net by the U.S. Department of Labor provides up-to-date information on occupational characteristics and worker requirement information across the U.S. economy. It describes occupations in terms of the knowledge, skills, and abilities required and how the work is performed in terms of tasks, work activities, and other descriptors.
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LASER-TEC to Award Stipends for Women in Photonics Technologies Workgroup |
LASER-TEC was able to secure funding for participants of the Women in Photonics Technologies workgroup. Qualified recipients are current female students and graduates of LASER-TEC colleges with photonics or photonics-related offerings who are actively participating in the workgroup "Women in Photonics Technologies."
- Supporting Resources
- Digital Media and Communication
- Marketing and Informational Resources
- Mentorship and Coaching
- Professional Development
- Academic Support
About the Women in Photonics Technologies initiative:
Women in Photonics Technology is a community of students, faculty, administrators, advisors, counselors, and industry members dedicated to inspiring girls and women to study and pursue a career in photonics technologies.
We all unite to develop programs that support girls and women and their love and passion for photonics technologies. This community is a launch platform for success through coaching, networking, collaboration, and programs that foster personal and professional growth.
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Supplemental Educational Resources by Optics and Photonics Companies |
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College educators continuously look for ways to supplement their photonics and optics curriculum to improve student learning, make it relevant to current industry trends, and decrease the cost of educational materials. Luckily, in addition to the LASER-TEC library, there are a few good hubs for Open Educational Resources developed and maintained by companies, professional organizations, and government agencies. In this issue, we will introduce resources available from Edmund Optics, MKS instruments, and Thorlabs. |
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The company made it easy to navigate and locate resources in optics, imaging, laser optical systems, microscopy, optomechanics, and testing and detection. One can search resources on the website either by type or topic of interest. Resources are accompanied by informative and clear graphics, demonstrations and simulations, applications, and further reading suggestions.
In addition, to build public awareness and community engagement, the company launched its TikTok account. Various optical phenomena are demonstrated and explained in short, under one-minute videos. This channel is a great way to supplement colleges’ youth outreach programs.
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MKS provides an extensive library of photonics and optics resources that can complement your college curriculum materials.
The tutorials are very well suited for AS and AAS levels. Don’t forget to download the free handbook Principles and Applications in Photonics Technologies. The application notes discuss the common and most recent applications in biomedicine, sensing, imaging, manufacturing, telecommunications, and more, and will help build relevance and emphasize the importance of the field of photonics to your students. The MKS instructional videos share procedures and tips in optical handling and cleaning, laser alignment, and more.
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Thorlab's technical resources page hosts organized materials: tutorials, application notes, white paper, labs, and programming notes on various topics in optomechanics, optics, fiber optics, light analysis, imaging, and others. The materials are succinct and are accompanied by good schematics and graphic elements. Pay special attention to their Insights section, where the company shares best practices, lessons learned, tips, and tricks gained through experience.
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Other YouTube channels that you might find helpful:
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The references provided is for information purposes only; LASER-TEC does not directly or indirectly endorse the products or services of these companies. |
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Engaging the Community in Photonics During Pi-Day Celebration |
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Founded in 1988, Pi (π) Day has become an international holiday, celebrated live and online all around the world on March 14.
Although it still might look different this year in many schools and colleges, Pi Day is a wonderful opportunity to raise awareness about optics, photonics, and laser technologies to teachers, students, parents, and your local community. From throwing virtual parties, to virtual pie challenges, and hosting simple calculation activities, there are plenty of playful opportunities to celebrate this day.
Visit these websites to learn more:
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As a resource center, LASER-TEC develops, maintains, and houses a library of resources to help educational institutions and training programs incorporate lasers, optics, photonics, and fiber optics technologies into their programs. LASER-TEC builds on and provides access to two decades of knowledge and expertise in developing the photonics technical workforce.
Our website contains textbooks, educational modules, laboratory manuals, teacher's guides, informational and outreach materials. In addition to our resources, we gather and systemize external collections that support photonics education and training. K-12 and college students, graduates, parents, educators, industry, career changers, and military can find relevant resources to help better understand the state of the workforce, get answers and find resources to achieve their goals.
LASER-TEC also offers opportunities to increase the technical knowledge and hands-on skills in these emerging technologies through professional development courses and workshops. We welcome everyone to visit our website and learn more about what LASER-TEC can offer you.
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Featured College: Northwestern Michigan College - Traverse City, MI |
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Offers an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Engineering Technology - Electronics specialization which includes a focus on lasers and optics technology. This degree provides a focus on the applied aspects of science and engineering technology aimed at preparing graduates for practice in the technology spectrum, including product improvement, manufacturing, robotics, unmanned systems, marine technology, and more. The degree offers a core set of engineering technology skills with a specialization in one of several technical concentrations. |
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Associate of Applied Science Degree in Engineering Technology - Electrical |
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This is a two year program with extensive hands-on training. The first year of the program provides a strong base of core technical skills in the areas of basic electronics, CAD, fluid power, programming and microcontrollers. The second year of the program builds on this foundational knowledge by expanding into specialized skill sets including electronics, lasers, and photonics. Internship opportunities and a final design capstone experience are embedded in the program. |
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Skills of AAS degree graduates: |
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All graduates of the program will have the ability to:
- Apply the skills and techniques to solve engineering technology problems using project-based learning
- Communicate effectively
- Conduct tests and measurements
- Function effectively as a member of a technical team
Specific skills include:
- Apply the fundamentals of electricity and electronics
- Follow safe electrical work practices
- Construct circuits from schematics and diagrams using proper wiring and soldering techniques.
- Perform electrical measurements using multimeters, oscilloscopes and other test equipment.
- Program microcontroller-based systems
- Use a systems level approach to analyze electronics and electrical devices
- Perform bench testing and integrating of devices to meet system requirements.
- Perform design modifications, circuit improvements, as component protection as designs are developed into working prototypes
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- Understanding control circuits, electrical schematics and line diagrams.
- Interface to Programmable logic controllers (PLCs).
- Understands the elements of a laser, operation of a helium-neon gas laser, laser physics, optical-cavities, properties of laser light and a survey of laser systems.
- Follow safety procedures concerning lasers and related equipment
- Understands operational characteristics of lasers, specific laser types, optical detectors and human vision, principles of optical fiber communications, photonics devices for imaging, storage and display, and laser welding and surface treatment.
The photonic courses are designed as follows:
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NMC’s first semester course covers the text Fundamentals of Light and Lasers from front to back cover, and includes an additional Module 7, Fiber Optics.
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NMC’s second semester course covers Modules 1-5 of the Laser Applications text, but is still listed in the NMC catalogue as Element of Photonics due to the class development during the existence of the former text.
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Contact Information
Name: Tech Division
Telephone: (231) 995-1300
Address: 1701 E. Front St., Traverse City, MI 49686
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How can I recruit from this college?
The Engineering Technology program provides a highly skilled technician with diverse skill sets. Our students are interested in working throughout the Great Lakes region and the United States. “Lunch and learns”, both in-person and virtually, are great opportunities to promote your company and interact with our students. Companies will typically showcase their industry, highlight skills needed by applicants, and answer career-related questions. Afterwards, a company representative can meet with the students one on one to discuss specifics. Career opportunities can be promoted on the program’s LinkedIn job board, social media accounts and in-class. The college also hosts virtual and in-person career fairs. NMC has a robust internship program that can assist your company in identifying potential candidates for internship opportunities.
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OPCN Member Colleges
The Optics and Photonics College Network (OPCN) is an association of postsecondary photonics technician educators operated by LASER-TEC. To learn more about the OPCN and to view the list of member institutions, please visit the LASER-TEC college network page.
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Join the Conversation
We hope you enjoyed this edition of the OPEN newsletter. Do you have information that you would like to share with our readers? We will be happy to publish it for you. Please contact us at info@laser-tec.org or call (772) 462-7295.
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OPEN is published by the LASER-TEC Center for Laser and Fiber Optics Education |
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This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DUE-2000166. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
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