Students and faculty of the Optical Systems Technology Program at Monroe Community College have developed and deployed a narrative-based, mobile color science laboratory for public STEM outreach in the greater Rochester, New York region. The laboratory consists of a series of experimental demonstrations designed for hands-on self-exploration and guided instruction by trained optics students and outreach staff. Visitors to the lab learn about the hidden color world of white light and how different light sources generate color differently. Participants leave the classroom with a greater understanding of how illumination sources and imaging displays create the color present in their daily lives. Each experiment is designed to be robust, easily transportable, quick to assemble on any standard table, and safe for interaction by people of all ages. To date, the color science laboratory has been deployed at both on-campus and multiple, high-profile, off-site events, reaching several thousand members of the general public and inspiring the next generation of STEM students.
Monroe Community College (MCC) is a cornerstone in delivering technical education and training, crucial for meeting the demand for proficient optics technicians in the industry. Additionally, MCC offers an affordable route for students aiming to pursue bachelor's, master's, or PhD degrees. Through its 2+2 programs in partnership with the University of Rochester, Rochester Institute of Technology, and University of Arizona, MCC facilitates a seamless transition to higher education. Typically, only an opportunity available for four-year students, MCC has partnered with the University of Rochester to establish paid research experiences for community college students. These research experiences allow community college students to contribute to measurement and manufacturing tasks for research projects, participate in meetings, and forge valuable connections with the research team. Such experiences not only provide MCC Optical Systems Technology students with a unique entry point into research groups, but also equip them with the confidence, purpose, and experience to excel in their academic and professional journeys, while addressing industry's call for technical skill combined with practical experience. This paper describes how Monroe Community College’s Optical Systems Technology department has partnered with the University of Rochester to establish a paid research program where community college students conduct research alongside bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD students.
The continuing shortage of trained optics technicians has become a bottleneck for the precision optical manufacturing and assembly industry. The Optical Systems Technology (OST) program at Monroe Community College (MCC) has engaged with its industry partners to clarify the scope and timescale of training that will best address industry needs for qualified personnel. New modalities of instruction have been implemented to reduce the amount of time that employees and potential new hires are required to be at campus facilities to acquire core technical skills. In this paper, we present learnings from condensed laboratory training and plans for microcredential offerings to accelerate the certification process for optics technicians. These modalities have been applied to optical physics and manufacturing coursework.
The optics industry, essential for innovations such as smartphones and defense technologies, is transforming daily life. Optics technicians, key in manufacturing and quality control, contribute significantly to these advancements, so development of the current and next-generation optics manufacturing workforce is vital. To meet this growing demand for skilled optics technicians, Monroe Community College’s Optical Systems Technology Program created the Defense Engineering Education Program in Optics initiative to increase the national precision optics technician workforce. The program has consistently grown enrollment and graduation rates over the last several years through the following strategies: (1) offering innovative training; (2) recruiting and retaining underrepresented populations; and (3) fostering partnerships with industry and educators. We describe how Monroe Community College has become a national model for building a successful precision optics technician training program, thus reinforcing the United States’ capabilities in both technology and national security.
Workforce development challenges are affecting every manufacturing industry sector. Because the optics/photonics industry enables so many of them, it is especially critical that the optics technician pipeline is strengthened. Against the backdrop of the state of the industry based on the SPIE Global Optics and Photonics Salary Report, this moderated panel discussion will show how the AmeriCOM optics ecosystem model – in place in a growing number of regions across the country – benefits its member organizations. Representatives from optics manufacturing companies and community colleges will discuss how they work together to face and solve challenges and, in so doing, derive mutual benefits. Most importantly, the panel will also include members of the newest generation of optics technicians who will speak about their experiences entering into optics manufacturing as a career path and what they value about the positions they now hold.
As optics and photonics-enable technologies increasingly dominate our lives, the demand for diamond turning technicians has grown significantly across the United States. A quick search on indeed.com shows diamond turning technician openings from Florida to California to New Hampshire to Rochester, New York. Monroe Community College (MCC) in Rochester, NY offered the nation’s first Optical Systems Technology program and to address the critical need for diamond turning technicians, now includes diamond turning in its curriculum. Learn about MCC’s innovative 40-hour diamond turning workshop and how the workshop has propelled students into their careers.
Precision optics manufacturing companies across the U.S. are suffering from a critical shortage of technicians. This shortage impacts supply chain, delays shipments, and impedes the productivity of any industry reliant on optics. Further, it stifles innovation and requires engineers with advanced degrees to complete the work of technicians. Development of the current and next-generation optics manufacturing workforce is vital. Monroe Community College (MCC) in Rochester, NY offered the nation’s first Optical Systems Technology program. By collaborating with industry, community, and governmental partners, MCC grew the program over several decades to a record-high graduating class today. Unfortunately, MCC alone cannot meet the demand for optics technicians with 500 new graduates needed every year just in the Western NY region. The U.S. Department of Defense sees this critical workforce shortage as a threat to national security and charged the American Center for Optics Manufacturing – AmeriCOM – to increase the number of optics technicians. Recognizing the success of connecting industry, community, and governmental partners with an optics-focused academic institution, AmeriCOM is replicating this “ecosystem” model in regions across the country. The initiative has: 1) Extensively enhanced precision optics technician training with innovative approaches that meet the needs of the optics industry and students; 2) Increased the number and diversity of optics technicians nationwide; and 3) Established opportunities for student and faculty engagement with the optics industry. This paper describes the success of MCC’s optics ecosystem model and illustrates why AmeriCOM is replicating it nationally to strengthen the nation’s precision optics workforce.
The Optics, Photonics, and Imaging industry is responsible for remarkable innovations that have revolutionized our world—and improve our lives, every single day. The industry is growing at an exponential rate and is suffering from a worldwide shortage of skilled optics technicians. For several decades, our society and education system have emphasized the value of a 4-year college education at the expense of workforce education, and our nation is suffering because of it. The registered Optics Manufacturing Technician apprenticeship is a structured “earn and learn” solution that combines on-the-job learning with related technical instruction, with benefits for employer and employee.
The global optics industry is growing faster than the overall U.S. economy, but the technical workforce for the industry is shrinking at an alarming rate. The absence of a single technician can delay shipments and impede the productivity of an optics company. The shortage of technicians is stifling innovation and requiring engineers with advanced degrees to complete the work of technicians. Development of the current and next-generation optics manufacturing workforce is vital. To meet the growing demand for skilled optics technicians, the Monroe Community College Optical Systems Technology program created the Defense Engineering Education Program in Optics (DEEP OPS) to increase the national optics workforce. Funded by the Department of the Navy Office of Naval Research (Award #N00014-19-1- 2740), the DEEP OPS initiative is strengthening and expanding the national precision optics workforce to ensure technological superiority for the Department of Defense. This initiative has: 1) Extensively enhanced precision optics technician training with innovative approaches that meet the needs of the optics industry and students; 2) Increased the number and diversity of optics technicians nationwide; and 3) Established opportunities for student and faculty engagement with the optics industry. The DEEP OPS program is providing strategic solutions to defense challenges and is supplying the intellectual know-how that is being transferred to a national base in the AmeriCOM Workforce Initiative. This paper describes how Monroe Community College has become a national model for educating diverse optics and photonics technicians.
A worldwide shortage of optics and photonics technicians is stifling our industry’s growth. This paper describes how Monroe Community College has become a national model for educating a diverse workforce, by breaking down barriers to entry into the field.
The booming optics manufacturing industry is suffering from a severe shortage of skilled technicians. The registered Optics Manufacturing Technician apprenticeship is a structured “earn and learn” solution that combines on-the-job learning with related technical instruction.
The global optics, photonics, and imaging industry is growing, but a worldwide shortage of optics technicians exists. Engineers are being called upon to do the work of optics technicians. This paper describes how Monroe Community College, the United States’ only community college awarding associate degrees in precision optics, is educating diverse optics and photonics technicians.
This course explains fundamental principles and applications of optics. The basic characteristics and the design of optical components and systems will be discussed. For perspective, general topics such as the history of optics and the presence of optical phenomenon in our everyday lives will be included. All information will be presented in a conversational format, with no requirement for dealing with complex theories or mathematics. This course will include hands-on demonstrations of optics phenomena.
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