Planning Grant for the Southeast Regional Center for Optics and Photonics Education & Training

电光、激光和光纤是光子学广泛领域所涵盖的技术。 这个规划项目已经组建了一个由来自佛罗里达、北卡罗来纳州和南卡罗来纳州的四所学院组成的联盟，这些学院拥有现有的光子学项目和强大的工业咨询委员会，以及佛罗里达光子学集群（代表150家公司），为东南地区光学和光子学教育中心开发基础设施。一个完整的区域中心将服务于佛罗里达州，佐治亚州，AL，MS，SC，NC，并根据每个州的工业需求定制光子学教育。该规划项目的主要目标是：1）调查该地区六个州的光子技术人员需求; 2）确定并招募雇主当地的大学提供所需的教育; 3）协助确定的大学建立光子教育计划; 4）确定每个主要合作伙伴大学的具体专业领域; 5）制定一项计划，以加强和增加主要合作伙伴的光子技术人员的产出; 6）完成并提交一份关于区域中心的综合提案。学术优势：联盟学院的管理团队具有开发成功的光子学项目的经验。牵头学院一直是OP-TEC，NSF/ATE国家光学和光子学教育中心的合作伙伴，PI主持OPTEC光子学学院网络（OPCN），该网络由来自全国各地的35所学院组成。 OP-TEC与全国许多其他大学合作。佛罗里达光子集群拥有众多成员，并与中央佛罗里达大学电光和激光研究中心（CREOL）有联系，是光子行业成功参与和合作的催化剂。该区域中心的广泛参与，从东南大学可以改变光子学教育在大学和高中水平。更广泛的影响：最终的区域中心将有助于保持美国在光子学领域的世界领先地位，这对我们的安全和国防工业至关重要。光子技术人员的起薪高于全国平均水平，从而提高了毕业生的社会经济地位。一个广泛的光子学教育基础设施将成为美国东南部，将加强和促进科学，技术，工程和数学领域。教育者网络和雇主理事会将建立的伙伴关系不仅对当地地区，而且对整个国家都将产生有益和持久的影响。该区域中心将加强招聘工作，以增加招生的多样性。作为两性平等合作社咨询委员会的成员，PI将组织旨在吸引更多妇女和少数民族参与该方案的活动。成员学院还与西班牙裔和非洲裔美国人组织合作，以增加这些族裔群体的学生人数。通过该中心对当地高中的推广，该中心将扩大学生对STEM的认识，并增加选择STEM相关学科和职业的学生人数。

Electro-optics, lasers, and fiber optics are the technologies encompassed by the broad field of Photonics. This planning project has assembled a coalition of four colleges from Florida and North and South Carolina with existing photonics programs and strong industrial advisory councils, and the Florida Photonics Cluster (representing 150 companies) to develop the infrastructure for the Southeast Regional Center for Optics and Photonics Education. A full regional center would serve the states of FL, GA, AL, MS, SC, NC, and customize the photonics education to each individual state's industrial needs. The main goals of the planning project are: 1) Survey the photonics technician needs of the industry in the six states of the region; 2) Identify and enlist colleges local to employers to provide the needed education; 3) Assist identified colleges in establishing photonics education programs; 4) Identify the specific specialty area of focus for each principal partner college; 5) Create a plan for strengthening and increasing the photonics technician output of the principal partners and; 6) Complete and submit a comprehensive proposal for a Regional Center. Intellectual Merit: The management team of the coalition colleges has experience developing successful photonics programs. The lead college has been a partner of OP-TEC, the NSF/ATE National Center for Optics and Photonics Education, and the PI chairs the OPTEC Photonics College Network (OPCN), which consists of 35 colleges from across the country. OP-TEC collaborates with many other colleges across the nation. The Florida Photonics Cluster, with its large membership and its affiliation with the Center for Research in Electro-optics and Lasers (CREOL) of the University of Central Florida, is a catalyst for the successful engagement and collaboration of the photonics industry. The Regional Center's broad participation of colleges from the southeast can transform photonics education at the college and high school levels. Broader Impact: An eventual regional center will help maintain the world lead in the field of photonics for the US, which is vital to our security and defense industries. Photonics technicians receive starting salaries above the national average, thereby elevating the graduates' socioeconomic status. A broad photonics education infrastructure will become available to the southeast US that will enhance and promote the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The partnerships that will be created by the educator network and the employer council will have a beneficial and lasting effect not only on the local region but the entire nation. The regional center will intensify its recruiting efforts to increase diversity in enrollment. The PI, as member of the advisory board of the Gender Equity Cooperative, will organize events aimed at attracting more women and minorities into this program. Member colleges are also involved with Hispanic and African American organizations to increase the number of students from these ethnic groups. Through the center's outreach to local high schools a center will expand student awareness of STEM, and increase the number of students who choose STEM-related disciplines and careers.