Optics And Photonics Education Centers Of Excellence: An Opportunity For International Collaboration

Keywords

courses; curriculum; lasers; NSF/ATE courses; photonics technician education; precision optics technician education

Abstract

The increased demand for highly educated and trained workers in optics and photonics is evident in many countries. Colleges and universities that provide this education can benefit greatly from support by non-profit National Education Centers of Excellence that conduct research in workforce needs, design curricula, develop industry-validated teaching materials, train new faculty and establish models for laser/optics laboratories. In 2006, the National Science Foundation (NSF) established OP-TEC, the National Center for Optics and Photonics Education, which encourages and supports U.S. colleges to educate and train an adequate supply of high quality technicians to meet the workforce demand by companies, institutions and government agencies. In 2013 and 2014 NSF awarded grants to establish regional photonics centers in the southeast U.S. (LASER-TEC) and the Midwest (MPEC). These Centers work cooperatively with OP-TEC, sharing resources, teaching materials and best practices for colleges with photonics technician education programs. This successful "center organization plan" that has evolved could be adopted in other countries, and international cooperation could be established between similar Centers of Education in Photonics education.

Publication Date

1-1-2015

Publication Title

Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering

Volume

9793

Document Type

Article; Proceedings Paper

Personal Identifier

scopus

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2223058

Socpus ID

84963594806 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/84963594806

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