College News

The Wyant College Industrial Affiliates Showcase and Meeting took place Oct. 28 - 30 in Tucson, AZ. The event kicked off with a busy poster session and corporate showcase in the Student Union Grand Ballroom. The second day was filled with student and faculty presentations that outlined current Wyant College research. On the final day student interviews took place as well as lab tours and a pizza party.

A new era of scientific innovation began at the University of Arizona on Oct. 24 when a ribbon was cut in the lobby of the Grand Challenges Research Building. University of Arizona President Suresh Garimella said he expects the facility, also known as the GCRB, to play a pivotal role advancing fields such as optical sciences, health care and space exploration. Garimella and Cheu cut the ribbon on the GCRB alongside Thomas L. Koch, dean of the College of Optical Sciences; JP Roczniak, president and CEO of the University of Arizona Foundation; and Dr. Michael Dake, senior vice president for health sciences.

Tech Launch Arizona and the Wyant College of Optical Sciences had a great lunch with Faculty Innovation Ambassador Hong Hua on Friday, Oct. 11. There were amazing discussions about research, innovation and creating real-world impact! Hong led the conversation alongside Dean Tom Koch and TLA's Rakhi Gibbons and Rich Weite. Look for opportunities to connect with Hong or Rich if you have further questions, let's keep the conversation going! Rich will be hosting his next "Wednesday with Rich" on Nov. 6.

Julie Emms, administrative director of the NSF-ERC Center for Quantum Networks, was nominated by Brianna Moreno for the Edith Sayre Auslander Emerging Visionary Award, awarded by the UA Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). The Emerging Visionary Award recognizes the nominee for demonstrating strong support and encouragement for diversity cultivation, and advancement in CSW goals. Congratulations, Julie!

Last Thursday, on October 17th, Optics for All (OFA) hosted a lunchtime gathering with women faculty, where they had a discussion on how to achieve work-life balance. In particular, how to stay motivated during setbacks and the impact of mentorship in their careers. They also had Christine Bradley join the conversation, alumna and Optical Lead for the EMIT imaging spectrometer instrumentation at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), who offered valuable insight from the industry perspective. OFA wants to thank everyone that attended and we hope to see you at our next event!

Beginning at SPIE Optics + Photonics 2025 will be a new biennial astronomy symposium on current and emerging applications for ground and space telescopes, and other optical technologies. To propose additional topics, contact Daewook Kim. Learn more and find updates on the SPIE website.

September 15 to October 15 is Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month! Over the last few weeks on social media, the Wyant College of Optical Sciences has celebrated a few of the many scientists and engineers who have made significant contributions to our world. Take a moment to learn more about them.

Cody Nelson, a master’s student in optical sciences at the Wyant College of Optical Sciences, has been awarded the 2024 Optica Foundation Harvey M. Pollicove Memorial Scholarship. Cody is also employed as an optical fabrication technician at the Richard F. Caris Mirror Laboratory, where he plays a key role in producing large-scale optics for astronomical applications, such as the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT). Cody’s hopes to apply this work to his future thesis-work focusing on interferometric testing for the GMT segment 3, which will finalize its surface.