Paul Conrow has been teaching science at East High School for 15 years. On Wednesday, March 9th, he won the Rochester Museum & Science Center’s STEM Award for Secondary Level educators. But the icing on the cake happened as Conrow and his family were leaving the Strathallan Hotel, walking out the door to go home....Continue Reading

We will be distributing the 2016 Map with our members at select SPIE conferences in 2016.Continue Reading

Kevin Rolland-Thompson, group director of research and development in optics at Synopsys, Inc., and Visiting Scientist at the Institute of Optics at the University of Rochester, died on 19 November. He had been undergoing treatment for a brain tumor. Highly respected for his work as well as his dedication to advancing the field and mentoring...Continue Reading

What will integrated photonics look like? In the 21st century, photonic devices, which use light to transport large amounts of information quickly, will enhance or even replace the electronic devices that are ubiquitous in our lives today. But there’s a step needed before optical connections can be integrated into telecommunications systems and computers: researchers need...Continue Reading

It was November 18, 1915 when nine Rochester scientists met at the University of Rochester: four from Eastman Kodak Co., four from Bausch & Lomb, and one from the University. “The late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries saw an explosion in the Applied Optics industry. Companies such as Carl Zeiss, Bausch and Lomb and Eastman...Continue Reading

Rochester City School District Science Teacher Diane Eagles (RCSD School #46) was inspired by the International Year of Light posters at the Rochester Airport and decided to do a photonics project with her Optics class. Eagles gave her students a working definition  of Photonics: “Photonics is the science of light: the technology of generating, controlling and detecting light waves...Continue Reading

Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the appointments for the board of officers to coordinate New York State’s significant financial investments with the National Manufacturing Innovation Institute for Integrated Photonics. First announced by Vice President Biden and Governor Cuomo in July, the Integrated Photonics Institute will help secure the nation’s leadership in emerging technology research, development, and...Continue Reading

Student volunteers from the University of Rochester Institute of Optics SPIE Student Chapter helped New York Photonics Executive Director, Tom Battley assemble and install 20 beautiful photo banners at the Greater Rochester International Airport on Friday, October 9. The banners are there to welcome visitors and exhibitors to Rochester during SPIE Optifab, held in Rochester biannually, and...Continue Reading

It’s photonics. Get it? Following SolarCity’s plan to build a factory in Buffalo, New York, another solar company has been attracted to the area with incentives. Upstate New York is quickly becoming a new hub for solar manufacturing. On Wednesday afternoon solar startup 1366 Technologies, and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, announced that 1366 will...Continue Reading

Two local photonics experts used the Downstairs Cabaret Theatre Wednesday night to set the stage for how the field will improve Rochester’s job economy. Jay Eastman and Paul Ballentine looked in their crystal balls and told about 150 entrepreneurs that a $600 million photonics research institute coming to town will boost local higher education, jobs...Continue Reading