International Year of Light Events Washington, DC Sept. 2015

Society Of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers Inc, Bellingham WA

Investigators

Abstract

Year 2015 is designated as the "International Year of Light" by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). This event will educate the community on the advances, applications, and impact of light-related technologies. The event is organized by an ad-hoc committee with representatives of all major Engineering Societies and supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The event will take place in Washington, D.C. on Saturday September 12, 2015 and includes an educational event for K-12 children and a technical session. Optics and photonics is one of the most active and fast developing fields in engineering and science. Technological advances in optics and photonics have significantly advanced a broad range of areas from communication, medicine, aerospace to advanced manufacturing. The U.S. has invested significantly in optics and photonics research and applications, with leading teams conducting pioneering work across the spectrum. As technological breakthroughs continue to be achieved and new topics of optics and photonics, such as silicon photonics, plasmonics, new lasers and 2D materials, continue to emerge, the importance of research in optics and photonics and its potential societal impact should be disseminated. Hands-on demonstrations will be provided to inspire children at the Museum of American Indian during the day. The evening event will include prominent researchers in the field of optics followed by discussions and networking.