Planning Grant for the Southeast Regional Center for Optics and Photonics Education & Training

Indian River State College, Fort Pierce FL

Investigators

Abstract

Electro-optics, lasers, and fiber optics are the technologies encompassed by the broad field of Photonics. This planning project has assembled a coalition of four colleges from Florida and North and South Carolina with existing photonics programs and strong industrial advisory councils, and the Florida Photonics Cluster (representing 150 companies) to develop the infrastructure for the Southeast Regional Center for Optics and Photonics Education. A full regional center would serve the states of FL, GA, AL, MS, SC, NC, and customize the photonics education to each individual state's industrial needs. The main goals of the planning project are: 1) Survey the photonics technician needs of the industry in the six states of the region; 2) Identify and enlist colleges local to employers to provide the needed education; 3) Assist identified colleges in establishing photonics education programs; 4) Identify the specific specialty area of focus for each principal partner college; 5) Create a plan for strengthening and increasing the photonics technician output of the principal partners and; 6) Complete and submit a comprehensive proposal for a Regional Center. Intellectual Merit: The management team of the coalition colleges has experience developing successful photonics programs. The lead college has been a partner of OP-TEC, the NSF/ATE National Center for Optics and Photonics Education, and the PI chairs the OPTEC Photonics College Network (OPCN), which consists of 35 colleges from across the country. OP-TEC collaborates with many other colleges across the nation. The Florida Photonics Cluster, with its large membership and its affiliation with the Center for Research in Electro-optics and Lasers (CREOL) of the University of Central Florida, is a catalyst for the successful engagement and collaboration of the photonics industry. The Regional Center's broad participation of colleges from the southeast can transform photonics education at the college and high school levels. Broader Impact: An eventual regional center will help maintain the world lead in the field of photonics for the US, which is vital to our security and defense industries. Photonics technicians receive starting salaries above the national average, thereby elevating the graduates' socioeconomic status. A broad photonics education infrastructure will become available to the southeast US that will enhance and promote the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The partnerships that will be created by the educator network and the employer council will have a beneficial and lasting effect not only on the local region but the entire nation. The regional center will intensify its recruiting efforts to increase diversity in enrollment. The PI, as member of the advisory board of the Gender Equity Cooperative, will organize events aimed at attracting more women and minorities into this program. Member colleges are also involved with Hispanic and African American organizations to increase the number of students from these ethnic groups. Through the center's outreach to local high schools a center will expand student awareness of STEM, and increase the number of students who choose STEM-related disciplines and careers.