Events
2023 Student Leadership
Greater Tacoma Convention Center, Tacoma, Washington, USA
07-12, October 2023
Bringing together student leaders from around the world for an immersive training and networking experience in conjunction with Frontiers in Optics.
What is Student Leadership?
The Student Leadership Experience is a program that brings together 100 student members from around the world. This training occurs in conjunction with Optica's annual conference, Frontiers in Optics (FiO), and serves as a fantastic way for students to immerse themselves in an environment full of professional development and technical content, networking, and fun.
Student attendees will hear from world-renowned lecturers who focus on topics such as:
- Which Path To Choose - The benefits of Academia and Industry
- Marketing Yourself Successfully - A discussion on highlighting yourself in a job interview and perfecting your resume
- Giving The Perfect Presentation
- Utilizing Science To Impact the Community
- Making The Most Out Of Your Optica Membership
- Leveraging Your Student Chapter To Maximize Impact
- Taking The Leap From Student to Early Career Professional - strategies and guidance from those who have recently made the leap
- And many, many more...
In addition, students experience an atmosphere for engaging one another to discuss their own career trajectories, challenges faced, and ideas for successfully overcoming those challenges.
Schedule/Session Descriptions
Programming for Student Leadership exists in two parts. The first, is a full-day of sessions on Sunday, 8 October. Attendees will not only hear from a variety of experts in the field, but they’ll have opportunities to network, collaborate, and enjoy themselves with a spo0o0ky ghost tour! All of Sunday programming is invite only.
The second part of Student Leadership is supplemental programming beginning on Monday, 9 October and concluding on Wednesday, 11 October on the Science and Industry Showcase. Attendees will hear from a variety of speakers on topics ranging from career perspectives to presenting research in a powerful way. This programming is open to all FiO registrants but geared toward students.
Saturday, October 7
This day is reserved for travel and no programming is currently scheduled.
15:00 Check in at hotel
Sunday, October 8
Marriott Downtown Tacoma (Room: Chambers II & III unless otherwise noted)
7:00 – 8:15
Breakfast (Room: Ruston)
8:30 – 8:45
Opening and Ice breaker
Terence Rooney, Director of Outreach Programs, Optica Foundation, United States
Karl Mick, Outreach Specialist, Optica Foundation, United States
8:45 – 9:00
Optica CEO Welcome
Liz Rogan, CEO, Optica, United States
9:00 – 10:30
Sustainable Networking for Scientists and Engineers
Christina Willis, Director of External and Government Affairs, Infleqtion, United States
10:30 – 10:45
Coffee Break
10:45 – 12:00
Early Career Speed Dating
2023 Optica Ambassador Class
12:00 – 13:30
Lunch with Optica Foundation Board of Directors (Room: Ruston)
13:30 – 14:30
Pivot Your Career
Victor Ochoa-Gutierrez, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom (2022 Pivoting Fellow)
Chosen to support his transition from research to business and for his dedication to making oximetry more accessible to diverse populations.
Fabian Ruf, Helping Hands Network, Germany (2023 Pivoting Fellow)
Chosen for his vision and dedication to creating practical teaching tools and fostering a passion for science through optics in Liberia and other African countries, inspiring teachers and students alike.
14:30 – 15:30
My Career Journey & Current Work
Lyndsey McMillon-Brown, NASA Glenn Research Center, United States
15:30 – 15:45
Coffee Break
15:45 – 16:00
Opportunities for Emerging Economies
Winnie Ye, Carleton University, United States
16:00 – 16:45
Maximizing Your Opportunities as a Student Member
Terence Rooney, Director of Outreach Programs, Optica Foundation
Karl Mick, Outreach Specialist, Optica Foundation
16:45 – 17:00
Community Engagement Prize Recognition
17:00 – 17:05
Closing
17:30 – 19:00
Dinner
19:00 – 21:00
Student Social Activities
Student Social Activities
We are leaning into the Halloween (October) spirit and offering ghost tours of Tacoma! This activity will be led by Pretty Gritty Tours and all Student Leadership and Amplify Immersion attendees are invited. Tours are 90 minutes and will start at 19:00, 20:00, and 21:00. You will be assigned a group and tour time the week before the event. Please arrive 15 minutes prior to your time and meet your guide at the front door of McMenamins Elks Temple. 565 Broadway, Tacoma, WA 98402.
Monday, October 9
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, United States
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, United States
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.
15:00 – 15:30
Latin Americans in Optics Meetup
Perla Marlene Viera Gonzalez, Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, Mexico
Samuel Serna Otalvaro, Bridgewater State University, United States
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, October 10
10:00 – 10:30
Asians in Optics Meetup
Sangyeon (Fred) Cho, Massachusetts General Hospital, United States
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, Spain
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, South Africa
Mateusz Szatkowski, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Poland
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, United States
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, United States
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, United States
Gabrielle Thomas, Menlo Systems, Germany
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, United States
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, United States
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.
Thursday, October 12
No Student Leadership Programming; FiO concludes
Speakers
We look forward to seeing you at the Optica Photonic-Enabled Cloud Computing Industry Summit. The Summit begins with an evening reception and dinner at a local restaurant, followed by two days of invited talks, keynotes, panel sessions, and networking events.
Discussion topics include: the future with AI, chips, chiplets, and transceivers, what is the role of foundries, what do hyperscalers really want, how materials can mix things up and how photonics can change the industry.
Atrouli Chatterjee
Yale University
Kseniia Minakova
NTU "KhPI"
Mitchell Cox
University of the Witwatersrand
Benjamin Cromey
Ball Aerospace
Mateusz Szatkowski
Wrocław University of Science and Technology
Perla Viera Gonzalez
Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon
Falko Schmidt
ETH Zurich
Matthew Posner
Optonique
Sejeong Kim
University of Melbourne
Joshua Burrow
Brown University
Christina Willis
Senior Analyst, Infleqtion
Elizabeth Rogan
CEO, Optica
Michal Lipson
2023 President, Optica
