Award Abstract # 1303732
OP-TEC: The National Center for Optics and Photonics Education

NSF Org: DUE
Division Of Undergraduate Education
Recipient: THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Initial Amendment Date: July 28, 2013
Latest Amendment Date: August 28, 2018
Award Number: 1303732
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, 2013
End Date: August 31, 2019 (Estimated)
Total Intended Award Amount: $3,577,232.00
Total Awarded Amount to Date: $4,287,963.00
Funds Obligated to Date: FY 2013 = $2,396,165.00
FY 2014 = $1,181,067.00

FY 2016 = $451,437.00

FY 2018 = $259,294.00
History of Investigator:
  • Daniel Hull (Principal Investigator)
    dan37hull@gmail.com
  • Fred Seeber (Co-Principal Investigator)
  • M.J. Soileau (Co-Principal Investigator)
  • Gregory Kepner (Former Co-Principal Investigator)
  • Chrys Panayiotou (Former Co-Principal Investigator)
  • Gordon Snyder (Former Co-Principal Investigator)
  • John Souders (Former Co-Principal Investigator)
Recipient Sponsored Research Office: The University of Central Florida Board of Trustees
4000 CENTRAL FLORIDA BLVD
ORLANDO
FL  US  32816-8005
(407)823-0387
Sponsor Congressional District: 10
Primary Place of Performance: University of Central Florida
324B Kelly Drive
Waco
TX  US  76710-5709
Primary Place of Performance
Congressional District:
17
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): RD7MXJV7DKT9
Parent UEI:
NSF Program(s): Advanced Tech Education Prog
Primary Program Source: 04001314DB NSF Education & Human Resource
04001415DB NSF Education & Human Resource

04001617DB NSF Education & Human Resource

04001819DB NSF Education & Human Resource
Program Reference Code(s): 1032, 9178, SMET
Program Element Code(s): 7412
Award Agency Code: 4900
Fund Agency Code: 4900
Assistance Listing Number(s): 47.076

ABSTRACT

OP-TEC's mission is to build the capacity of U.S. two-year colleges to provide the quality and quantity of photonics technicians needed in this critical field. To date the center has: Developed seven exemplary Partner Colleges that serve as models, mentors, test sites and regional leaders in specialized photonics technician areas; Launched four Regional Photonics Clusters of employers and colleges, using Partner Colleges for leadership; Supported nine colleges in initiating new photonics AAS degree programs; Assisted five colleges to restore declining or closed photonics programs; Worked with 108 colleges to plan new programs; and Developed a strategy for increasing the number of high school students who enter the optics and photonics field. In addition the center has conducted faculty development, developed curricular material, and has begun work developing a program for precision optics.

In this project, the center, along with Partner Colleges and in cooperation with business and industry, is encouraging and developing additional optics and photonics programs or optics and photonics specializations within related majors (for example, in engineering technology) at two-year colleges; developing additional ways to attract more students into these program; developing course material in emerging areas; providing faculty development; enlarging strategies to recruit veterans with related experience into the programs; increasing the number of members of groups under-represented in these programs; and developing short programs for technicians already in the field. The center is developing materials and encouraging colleges to develop concentrations in precision optics to meet employer demand

The Intellectual Merit of this proposal resides in its focus on photonics, photonics-enabled technologies, precision optics, and emerging applications of photonics that impact U.S. security and economic development. Expanding capacity for producing photonics and precision optics technicians also guarantees that there are rewarding jobs for US students and that employed technicians receive additional education and training to secure their jobs and support needed technical innovation.

The Broader Impacts lie in 1) growth in student completers due to increase in programs and enrollment through OP-TEC outreach/retention strategies, including regional clusters/centers, 2) expansion of photonics education in photonics-enabled technologies, retraining employed technicians and developing precision optics programs, and 3) new efforts to attract returning veterans and underrepresented populations by educating faculty and administrators in diversity awareness as well as recruitment and retention strategies.

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.

OP-TEC is the National Center for Optics and Photonics Education. OP-TEC?s mission is to increase the supply of well-educated photonics technicians by building and strengthening the capacity and quality of photonics education in U.S. two-year colleges.

Photonics Systems Technicians (PSTs) operate, adapt and maintain lasers; they also integrate these devices and components into photonics-enabled systems. Precision Optics Technicians (POTs), fabricate, characterize and integrate quality optical elements into systems for defense, aerospace, surveillance, geospatial and sensor-controlled devices. Over 800 new PSTs and POTs are needed each year.

OP-TEC expanded and strengthened photonics education from 12 to 36 U.S. colleges, which increased the number of new photonics techs entering the workforce from under 200 to over 500 annually.

Over 200 employed technicians, transferring into this field, have also received education and training in lasers, optics and laser safety from colleges supported by OP-TEC.

The five Goals attained by OP-TEC are:

1.  Serve as the leader of the U.S. network of colleges and employers offering optics and photonics technician education.

  • Established the Optics and Photonics College Network which provides professional development and facilitates networking for all photonics faculty at two-year colleges, as well as high school teachers.
  • Identified and supported six colleges to provide regional leadership for photonics in the U. S.
  • Created the monthly Optics and Photonics Education Newsletter (OPEN), which is now distributed by LASER-TEC Center.

2.  Provide up to date, employer-validated resources to improve teaching and learning in optics, lasers and photonics technician education.

  • Conducted industry-validated skill standards for PSTs and POTs, which provided the specifications for the design of AS degree curricula and specialty courses.
  • Developed and completely updated over 2500 pages of student texts, teaching resources and program improvement monographs. These materials are available to faculty and students for downloading and printing at the following websites:  

OP-TEC Material Dissemination Website https://www.optecresources.org

CREOL/UCF website https://photonics.creol.ucf.edu/op-tec-resources/

Videos on LASER-TEC Channel:  https://www.youtube.com/user/LaserTecVideos/playlists

3.  Expand the number of educational courses and programs in optics and photonics offered by colleges and high schools.

  • Expanded and strengthened photonics education from 12 to 36 U.S. colleges, which increased the number of new photonics techs entering the workforce from under 200 to over 500 annually. Over 200 employed technicians, transferring into this field, have also received education and training in lasers, optics and laser safety from colleges supported by OP-TEC.
  • Assisted new program startups by a) providing lists of photonics employers in the college service area, b) facilitating employers needs assessment surveys, c) program planning, including lab design, equipment and laser safety, and d) student recruitment and retention.

Expanding the number of programs and improving student recruiting efforts maximizes capability to reach a wider audience base, ultimately engaging a larger number of underrepresented populations, including women, minorities, veterans, those living in rural areas or those participating in distance learning while serving overseas in photonics-enabled technician programs.

  • OP-TEC has also supported and assisted other technician education programs to infuse laser and optics courses into curricula where photonics is an enabling technology.

4.  Provide education and training for administrators, counselors, high school teachers, and community college faculty members to prepare them to (a) design new photonics technology programs (b) infuse photonics into programs in photonics-?enabled technologies; and (c) teach optics, photonics, and laser courses.

  • Using on-line training, followed by two and three-day lab experiences, OP-TEC prepared over 200 new faculty to teach optics and laser courses. OP-TEC has also provided professional development to faculty through webinars and supported for them to attend meetings and technical conferences.

5.  Identify and support the emergence of new technologies, including alternative energy, that require technician knowledge and skills in optics and photonics.

  • Emerging applications of optics and photonics, supported by OP-TEC included vertical-cavity, surface-emitting diodes, nanophononics, integrated(silicon)photonics, wearable sensors and laser-assisted additive manufacturing.

Sustaining the Impact of OP-TEC

OP-TEC efforts to sustain and continue our impact have been achieved by transferring all resources and responsibilities to the NSF/ATE Center LASER-TEC. See  www.laser-tec.org


Last Modified: 09/04/2019
Modified by: Daniel M Hull

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