OSC Highlights

Laser Fun Day a Resounding Success

SOCK's fifth Laser Fun Day was the best attended yet, filled with fun and learning for the whole family.

Kyle J. Myers elected to National Academy of Engineering

OSC alumna and adjunct professor Kyle J. Myers was named a member of the prestigious National Academy of Engineering.

Optics Raises $12.5 million for Scholarships

More than 270 donors collectively raised $2.5 million in response to a $10 million challenge, establishing 27 new endowed scholarships.

The International Year of Light

Light plays a vital role in our daily lives and is an imperative discipline of science. Find out what is being done globally to celebrate light in 2015.

Fall Pre-Commencement

Take a moment to peruse photos taken during the fall pre-commencement and celebration.

Staff Recognition Program

Reward your staff and co-workers for outstanding performance! For full details visit the staff recognition page.

Holiday Luncheon a Success

Another fantastic year was celebrated with a festive holiday luncheon and gift exchange.

Light Moments: Simple, Yet Profound

How 'lenslets' were first made is a great story of ingenuity and scrappiness.

Wilma Visits for Welcome Back Reception

Wilma Wildcat made a surprise visit to OSC's welcome back reception. View the photo gallery to see the fun.

The Latest in OSC Research

Take a moment to view our updated Research pages and find out the latest on OSC's specialties.

Welcome, Optikos

OSC would like to welcome Optikos to our Industrial Affiliates program.

Light Moments: Early Adventures

In honor of the 50th anniversary, we've prepared a series of short, light-hearted pieces about OSC's earliest years.

Colloquium Lecture Series

During the semester, we invite the field's brightest minds to speak. Take a look at our current lectures or peruse the video archives.

Make a Kaleidoscope!

Follow OSC's detailed instructions to make your own kaleidoscope out of PVC pipe.

Lasers Could Divert Lightning Strikes

A new technology capable of sending laser beams through the atmosphere could be used to guide lightning away from buildings.

Research

The College of Optical Sciences is internationally recognized for its innovative and unusually comprehensive research programs. Our research encompasses a broad set of technologies and techniques for exploiting the properties and applications of light, touching virtually every field of science and industry. Our faculty are innovative and decorated — and constantly expanding the boundaries of optics knowledge.

For a list of intra- and inter-university initiatives with which our faculty participate, please see the Centers page.

And for information about funding for research projects, please the Support section or contact the Contracts and Grants staff.

Specialties

Optical Engineering

Optical engineers examine and develop different uses of light with instruments like lenses, spectrometers and interferometers; they build the practical devices that put light to use.

View the Latest in Optical Engineering

Optical Physics

Optical physics concentrates on the inspection, manipulation and control of electromagnetic radiation in relation to matter, focusing on the discovery and application of new phenomena. Optical physicists use and develop light sources that span the electromagnetic spectrum from microwaves to X-rays.

View the Latest in Optical Physics

Photonics

Photonics is the science of the dual nature of light, emphasizing that it is both particle and wave at once; it covers the research and application of light from ultraviolet to the infrared.

View the Latest in Photonics

Image Science

Image science investigates the ways that image quality can be defined, measured and optimized; it touches and improves the visualization of everything from healthy bones to unstable atmosphere to millennia-old geological formations.

View the Latest in Image Science