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A great deal of the success of the Metro Orlando optics and
photonics sector is attributable to educational programs designed
specifically to prepare people for work in the field. Most notable
is the University of Central Florida’s (UCF) world-renowned
College of
Optics & Photonics and its three research centers: the
Center
for Research and Education in Optics and Lasers (CREOL), the
Florida Photonics Center for Excellence (FPCE), and the Townes
Laser Institute. CREOL, The College of Optics and Photonics,
recognized as one of the top three optics academic units in the
nation and the first college-level institution in the US, offers an
interdisciplinary program with MS and PhD degrees in Optics and has
strong partnership ties to industry through an Industrial
Affiliates program with 30%-40% of its annual external research
funding provided by industry.
In 2003, Florida Governor Jeb Bush and the Florida Board of
Education allocated $10 million to establish the Florida Photonics Center of Excellence (FPCE) at UCF's
College of Optics and Photonics. In 2007, a third research center
was added to the College in addition to CREOL and FPCE - the Townes
Laser Institute, in honor of Nobel laureate Charles Hard Townes,
the inventor of the maser/laser. The mission of the Townes
Laser Institute, funded in part by a recent $4.5 million grant from
the state of Florida to UCF’s Florida Photonics Center of
Excellence, is to make UCF the premier institution in advanced
laser technology in the United States. The center also provides
needed faculty and facilities in laser science and the next
generation of laser technologies for medicine, advanced
manufacturing tools and defense.
The Photonics Center adds an important new dimension to UCF's
internationally renowned College of Optics and Photonics and
provides resources needed to expand photonics efforts in the
growing areas of:
- Nanophotonics
- Biophotonics
- Advanced imaging and 3D displays
- Ultra-high bandwidth communications
The College of Optics and Photonics/CREOL is one of the world's
top graduate institutions in optics and photonics education and
research. The school offers a comprehensive interdisciplinary
graduate program covering all aspects of optics, photonics and
lasers leading to master's and doctoral degrees in Optics. The
College of Optics and Photonics /CREOL provides unparalleled
opportunities for not only continuing education, but research
partnerships with photonics companies as well. The facility is
currently engaged in more than a dozen areas of research
including:
- Diffractive and holographic optics
- Liquid crystal
- Remote sensing, laser radar and atmospheric propagation
- Theory of light matter interaction
- Virtual reality and medical imaging
Many faculty members at other colleges and centers within UCF
have affiliate appointments at CREOL, and research collaboration
with UCF’s new College of
Medicine is increasing. The CREOL faculty is recipients of
numerous awards and honors and is world-renowned for their
contributions to fundamental and applied optics and photonics, and
optical engineering. Recently, a College of Optics and
Photonics professor invented a lens using liquid crystal
technology. Used in eyeglasses, the lens electronically allows
wearers to adjust their focus, eliminating the need to have new
lenses made or to wear bifocals. The professor holds one of only a
few U.S. patents on liquid crystal technologies.
As well, strong programs at local community colleges train
students to enter the optics and photonics field in various
capacities and help to create a complete workforce pool that
includes engineers, laser technicians, optics technicians,
opto-mechanical technicians, and systems analysts, among many
others. The Florida Photonics Cluster (FPC) worked closely
with the University of Central Florida’s Engineering Technology
Department and the College of Optics and Photonics/CREOL to develop
a photonics-specific “Two plus Two” program, which is designed to
expand technical and engineering education related to
photonics.
This program is now an approved degree called the
BSEET-Photonics and has seen steady growth in the first year.
Students enrolling in the program begin their post-secondary
education at one of the many outstanding community colleges in
Metro Orlando, and may elect to attend UCF upon completion of their
Associate of Science degree. Upon completion, graduates enter the
optics and photonics workforce with a more marketable four-year
technology degree. This is the first degree of its kind offered
anywhere in the country.
In addition to supporting community college programs, the FPC
has also implemented the Photonics Tech Camp, which is a series of
seminars that bring middle and high school teachers from around the
state to Orlando for a two-day industry orientation. The intent of
the program is to help educators understand photonics so that they
are better able to incorporate the topic into their curriculums. By
introducing students to photonics at an early age, there is a
greater chance they will pursue the field in their secondary
education.
Recently, Northrop Grumman Laser Systems, along with several
local optics companies and the Metro Orlando Economic Development
Commission (EDC) began working with Valencia Community College
(VCC) and Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) to create the
Photonics Academy at Wekiva High School. The Photonics
Academy began at the beginning of the 2009-2010 school year and
offers high school students interested in careers as
laser/photonics technicians to be dual enrolled at their high
school and VCC. Upon graduation from high school, students
will also receive nearly enough credits to also obtain their A.S.
degree in photonics from VCC. This will allow the graduates
to immediately enter the workforce, with high-tech, high-wage jobs,
instead of spending two more years earning the degree. Many
optics and photonics companies in Metro Orlando also offer tuition
assistance programs, allowing the technicians to earn higher
degrees with little or no out-of-pocket expense. The newly
created Photonics Academy is just another great example of Metro
Orlando’s dedication to our established cluster of photonics
companies.
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