| NSF Org: |
DUE Division Of Undergraduate Education |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | August 18, 2014 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | June 8, 2017 |
| Award Number: | 1400561 |
| Award Instrument: | Continuing Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Virginia Carter
vccarter@nsf.gov (703)292-4651 DUE Division Of Undergraduate Education EDU Directorate for STEM Education |
| Start Date: | September 1, 2014 |
| End Date: | August 31, 2019 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $2,969,986.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $2,969,986.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
FY 2015 = $669,469.00 FY 2017 = $656,949.00 |
| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
525 GRANDVIEW AVE OTTUMWA IA US 52501-1359 (641)683-5111 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
525 Grandview Avenue Ottumwa IA US 52501-1359 |
| Primary Place of Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): | Advanced Tech Education Prog |
| Primary Program Source: |
04001516DB NSF Education & Human Resource 04001718DB NSF Education & Human Resource |
| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.076 |
ABSTRACT
Photonics, the technology that incorporates optics and electronics (lasers, fiber-optics, electro-optics), is a rapidly expanding field that provides rewarding jobs for technicians and excellent opportunities for Midwest economic growth. Photonics is also an "enabling technology", with wide-scale applications in manufacturing/materials processing, as well as in defense/homeland security, renewable energy, telecommunications, diagnostic and therapeutic medical equipment, environmental monitoring, opto-electronics/nanotechnology and solid state lighting. The employer demand for qualified photonics technicians nationwide is great and has continued to grow in recent years. In 2012, a national survey titled "Industry Demand for Two-Year College Graduates in Optics and Photonics Technology" reported that the Midwest region's 500 photonics-driven companies project a need for an additional 939 technicians over the next five years.
Indian Hills Community College will establish and operate the Midwest Photonics Education Center (MPEC). The Center's goals are 1) to increase the supply of well-educated photonics technicians in the Midwest, and 2) to serve as the national leader in photonics applications for advanced manufacturing and laser materials processing. MPEC will accomplish these goals by building and strengthening the number, capacity and quality of two-year photonics education programs in Midwest colleges. MPEC's geographical region includes the U.S. states of Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Nebraska, Minnesota, Indiana, and Wisconsin. MPEC will support and coordinate efforts by institutions to: provide technical assistance, develop curricula, assess industry needs, perform outreach activities, develop and implement strategies to recruit and retain students including women, minorities and veterans and offer flexible training for incumbent technicians and dislocated workers.
MPEC will disseminate new information on laser applications in advanced manufacturing and raise the awareness of high school students, parents and teachers about photonics, photonics technicians and photonics career opportunities. The Center will cultivate pathways to high-wage, high growth technical jobs for high school and community college students. Through the Center's activities Midwest employers will gain essential information about colleges that offer photonics technical education and have access to photonics graduates for new hires. Moreover employers will have the opportunity to provide input and have oversight on the content of photonics curricula. The outcomes of center activities will provide employers more options for highly skilled new hires, stimulate the economic development of laser manufacturing companies in the Midwest, and build and strengthen the capacity and quality of photonics education in two-year colleges in the Midwest region.
PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
The Midwest Photonics Education Center (MPEC) began in 2014 and ended in 2019. Indian Hills Community College (IHCC) in Ottumwa, Iowa was the fiscal agent for MPEC. Six additional Midwest educational institutions were partners in the center as follows:
- Baker College (Flint, MI)
- College of Lake County (Grays Lake, IL)
- Cincinnati State Technical and Community College (Cincinnati, OH)
- Minnesota State College-Southeast Technical (Winona, MN)
- Anoka-Ramsey Community College (Coon Rapids, MN)
- Columbia Area Career Center (Columbia, MO)
Universal Technology Corporation of Dayton, Ohio was an industry partner providing consultation and expertise in lasers in manufacturing. The primary goal of MPEC was to increase the supply of photonics technicians in the Midwest and to serve as the national leader in photonic applications for advanced manufacturing and laser material processing.
Photonics Kit Development
MPEC developed a photonics kit in a portable carrying case with optics, lasers, components, and an optical breadboard and distributed 117 kits for use in laboratory activities in introductory courses and workshops at 20 community and technical colleges, career centers, and high schools across the United States and in Puerto Rico.
Curriculum, Program Development, Articulations, and Assistance
MPEC provided technical assistance to 16 community colleges and career centers across the country that resulted in the development of 9 new photonics based certificates or Associate of Applied Science degree programs and multiple photonics courses. MPEC donated or loaned equipment to other educational institutions MPEC also developed a Lasers in Manufacturing course, a Fundamentals of Lighting course, and an internship course and helped develop internship opportunities for students. MPEC pilot tested an E-book and evaluated a Fundamentals of Light and Lasers course. MPEC contributed to the development of 4 articulation agreements between high schools/career centers and community colleges and 6 articulation agreements between community colleges and universities.
Professional Development
Professional development was an integral part of the work of MPEC. While in operation, MPEC hosted 25 Fundamentals of Photonics Workshops for 218 participants, 2 Lasers in Manufacturing Symposiums for 209 participants, 3 Laser Material Processing Workshops for 19 participants, 5 Fundamentals of Light and Lasers Capstone Laboratory Activities for 14 participants and 4 Laser Systems and Applications Capstone Laboratory Activities for 10 participants. MPEC funded Laser Safety Officer training from the Laser institute of America for 7 participants, funded Laser Weld Training for 1 instructor and supported the attendance of 111 participants at 36 national conferences. MPEC funded the WomenTech Educator training of 30 participants by the Institute for Women in Trades, Technology and Science. MPEC supported 28 company tours for 192 students and 11 company tours for 163 educators.
Outreach Activities
Outreach activities were an important part of informing prospective students, educators and the public about the educational and career opportunities in the laser and photonics industry. MPEC partnered or exhibited at 40 conferences and 38 other events to display information about photonics educational kits, curriculum, professional development opportunities, and lasers in manufacturing. Additionally, MPEC provided 64 high school presentations for 1677 students and partnered to help provide 29 presentations and company tours for 1105 students. MPEC also gave presentations at 29 conferences for 521 attendees to disseminate best practices in photonics education, as well as to share information about educational and career opportunities. MPEC gave presentations about the center’s work at 18 additional events for 981 attendees. In partnership with SPIE, MPEC hosted laser light shows at local school districts for over 2000 students.
MPEC sponsored, participated or partnered to support the following events and activities:
Event Descriptions | # Events | Participants |
| Sophomore, Junior, and Senior Days | 11 | 343 |
| Eighth Grade Career Days | 10 | 568 |
| Women Exploring STEM Days | 5 | 84 |
| Gear Up Days | 5 | 239 |
| Engineering Tech Days | 2 | 96 |
| Advanced Manufacturing Days | 5 | 1105 |
| Girls Exploring Math and Science Camps | 8 | 375 |
| Latino Photonics Camps | 7 | 84 |
| Nuts, Bolts, and Thingamajigs Camps | 3 | 42 |
| 3D Printing and Robotics Camps | 2 | 31 |
| Summer Technology Camps | 7 | 188 |
| STEM and Family Fun Festivals | 4 | 830 |
| Achieving Maximum Potential Conferences | 2 | 48 |
| College Immersion Experiences | 4 | 86 |
Job Placement and Enrollment
Job placement for MPEC photonics program graduates has averaged 95% or higher with demand growing faster than colleges can graduate students. MPEC met with companies each year to discuss the required skills and knowledge for technicians, curriculum recommendations and assess their employee needs. During MPEC’s operation, the Laser & Optics program enrollment at IHCC grew from 30 to 52 students (73%).
Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts
The work of MPEC has resulted in the advancement of knowledge in lasers in manufacturing through the offering of professional development activities, presentations and exhibits, and the development of programs and coursework. A broader impact of MPEC includes reaching out to audiences that had little or no awareness of lasers and photonics and influencing students to pursue STEM field careers.
Last Modified: 12/16/2019
Modified by: Greg G Kepner
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