Get Involved
NextGen Lounge
The NextGen Lounge is a Foundation-sponsored space which offers professional development sessions for student attendees of FiO. The lounge exists on the Science and Industry Showcase and programming occurs from Monday, 9 October through Wednesday, 11 October.
Monday, 9 October
13:00 – 13:15 Starting point: Meet the exhibitors
Optica Industry Team and Ambassadors
Engage with members from our industry team as well as Optica Ambassadors whom will guide you through the Science and Industry Showcase. You’ll meet at the NextGen Lounge to hear some tips on making your interactions with exhibitors more effective. From there, you’ll break out into groups and explore!
13:15 – 14:00 Lens Tolerancing for Success!
Rick Plmypton, Optimax
Presentation of the fundamentals of optical component tolerancing with examples of what can go wrong and an overview of manufacturing standards.
14:15 – 14:45 Black in Optics Meetup
Joshua Burrow, Brown University
This meetup is designed to support black scientists in optics and photonics. Hear from 2023 Ambassador, Joshua Burrow, on how to maximize opportunities in the field for optimum success as a researcher.
15:00 – 15:30 Latin Americans in Optics Meetup
Perla Marlene Viera Gonzalez, Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon
Samuel Serna Otalvaro, Bridgewater State University
This meetup is designed to support Latin American scientists in optics and photonics. Hear from Ambassadors, Perla Marlene Viera Gonzalez and Samuel Serna Otalvaro, on how to maximize opportunities in the field for optimum success as a researcher.
Tuesday, 10 October
10:00 – 10:30 Asians in Optics Meetup
Sangyeon (Fred) Cho, Massachusetts General Hospital
This meetup is designed to support Asian scientists in optics and photonics. Hear from 2022 Ambassador, Sangyeon Cho, on how to maximize opportunities in the field for optimum success as a researcher.
11:30 – 12:00 Plenary Q&A
Pablo Artal, University of Murcia
Adaptive optics is a technology used in the last decades in vision and ophthalmology. Pablo will present a historical perspective of the field with emphasis in the current efforts to develop wearable devices for both vision testing and correction. The Plenary will occur from 10:30 – 11:30 but Q&A will happen back at the NextGen Lounge from 11:30 – 12:00.
12:00 – 12:45 Career Perspectives Roundtable: Academia
Mitchell Cox, University of the Witwatersrand
Mateusz Szatkowski, Wrocław University of Science and Technology
This session will provide you with multiple perspectives on academia as a career path. You’ll hear from three Optica Ambassadors on their journeys, challenges, and strategies for success.
13:00 – 13:30 Optica President Meet and Greet
Michal Lipson, Columbia
Michal Lipson is the Eugene Higgins Professor of Electrical Engineering and Professor of Applied Physics at Columbia University. Lipson pioneered critical building blocks in the field of Silicon Photonics, which today is recognized as one of the most promising directions for solving the major bottlenecks in microelectronics. Come and hear from the current Optica President on her journey in optics and the steps she took along the way.
13:45 – 14:30 NextGen Innovators: Engineering a Greener Future in Tech
Samuel Serna Otalvaro, Bridgewater State University
In an exhilarating collaboration with the NSF, MIT and BSU, we're diving into the vibrant world of integrated circuits, spotlighting how our emerging generation of engineers is revolutionizing sustainability from the ground up. As the digital age propels forward, there's an unmatched urgency to address every environmental facet: from the ethics of raw material sourcing to innovative methods in electronic waste recycling.
Blending cutting-edge expertise with core sustainability principles, today's young researchers are not just advancing optics and nanofabrication; they're crafting a greener, brighter future for the realm of integrated circuits with principles that could be extended to any other industry.
14:45 – 15:30 Career Perspectives Roundtable: Industry
Fae Gholami, IBM
Gabrielle Thomas, Menlo Systems
Benjamin Cromey, Ball Aerospace, United States
In this session you will hear multiple perspectives on industry as a career path. You’ll hear from three Optica Ambassadors on their journeys, challenges, and strategies for success.
Wednesday, 11 October
10:00 – 10:30 Meet the Optica Foundation Team
Various
Did you know that the Optica Foundation offers over 60 programs to the community each year? These opportunities include travel grants, scholarships, fellowships, and are designed to support students, early and established career professionals. Hear from members of the team who make the magic happen!
11:30 – 12:00 Plenary Q&A
Karen Trentelman, Getty Conservation Institute
The scientific analysis of works of art is carried out to answer questions related to artist’s technique, provenance, historic technologies, and material properties. Utilizing primarily non-invasive imaging and spectroscopic techniques, studies on objects ranging from mummies to Medieval manuscripts to paintings by masters such as Rembrandt and van Gogh will be presented. The Plenary will occur from 10:30 – 11:30 but Q&A will happen back at the NextGen Lounge from 11:30 – 12:00.
13:45 – 14:30 Interviewing 101
Atrouli Chatterjee, Yale University
Are you a student entering the job market? Are you a career professional looking for tips on improving your ability to land a position? Check out this session as 2023 Optica Ambassador, Atrouli Chatterjee, walks through strategies to help you ace that interview.
