Our MissionThe mission of Optical Sciences is to provide the State of Arizona and the nation with the internationally preeminent program in education, research, and outreach in all aspects of the science and application of light. Our HistoryOptical Sciences, founded as the University of Arizona Optical Sciences Center, has been shaping the future since 1964 by offering highest-quality graduate and undergraduate education, cutting-edge research programs, and a solid commitment to the economic development of the optics industry. The history of Optical Sciences is a reflection of our commitment to generate and disseminate the knowledge that is critical to future developments in nearly every field of science and technology.
The driving force behind this emergence and growth is the research capabilities and education programs at Optical Sciences. The knowledge gained in Optical Sciences classrooms and research laboratories is being brought to the commercial marketplace to solve major challenges in aerospace, manufacturing, instrumentation, medicine, and the physical sciences. |
The concept for the Optical Sciences Center originated in early 1960s when
very few people were being educated in optics and the shortage of trained
optical scientists was judged to be a national crisis. In response to this great
need, the Air Force Institute of Technology, together with the Needs in Optics
Committee of the Optical Society of America and Dr. Aden Meinel, Director of
Steward Observatory at the University of Arizona, drafted a proposal to set up
an Optical Sciences Center to educate scientists in optics. In 1964, with
financial support from the University of Arizona Foundation and a promise of
research contracts from the United States Air Force, Aden Meinel, now Director
of the new Optical Sciences Center, rented temporary quarters on the University
of Arizona campus, brought faculty members on board, and opened our doors to the
Center’s first students. 
Since then,
Optical Sciences has grown and evolved in response to changing national
needs and now includes a world-class faculty, an international student body, an
undergraduate optical sciences and engineering degree program, and distance
learning classes leading to a Professional Certificate or an MS degree. In
response to strong industrial demand, the academic program has expanded
to include more than 100 graduate and undergraduate level courses. Optical
Sciences'
graduates are in great demand and are employed by national and international
governments, by businesses and by universities.
Along with its teaching programs,
Optical Sciences' research programs have evolved
and expanded to include a number of partnerships in which Optical Sciences faculty
members work closely with scientists in government and industry. Through joint
faculty appointments and joint research projects, Optical Sciences also engages in
cooperative research with several departments on the University of Arizona
campus. Laboratory facilities have expanded also to meet the need
for research and development in new and exciting areas. Optical Sciences boasts
numerous laboratories dedicated to teaching at both the graduate and
undergraduate levels and continually upgrades laboratories with state-of-the-art
equipment.
Today, Arizona is fast becoming the world’s major center for the optics
industry and Tucson’s optics industry is widely considered the best in the
nation, with a vibrant company base, enviable business-to-business cooperation,
and top educational opportunities. Tucson optics firms design, develop, and
manufacture products ranging from auto headlights to x-ray machines to
high-speed internet connections and their growth is phenomenal. Arizona has
about 150 optics-related firms, 90 percent of which are in the private sector
and account for annual revenues of about $650 million. That’s up from $100
million in 1989 and $300 million in 1994.