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阔领域所涵盖的技术。这个规划项目由来自佛罗里达州和北卡罗来纳州和南卡罗来纳州的四所学院组成的联盟，与现有的光子学项目和强大的产业咨询委员会，以及佛罗里达州光子学集群(代表150家公司)组成的联盟，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、俄勒冈州、密苏里州、南卡罗来纳州、南卡罗来纳州，并根据每个州的工业需求定制光子学教育。规划项目的主要目标是：1)调查该地区六个州的行业对光电子技术员的需求；2)确定并招募雇主当地的大学来提供所需的教育；3)协助已确定的大学建立光子学教育计划；4)为每个主要合作伙伴学院确定具体的重点专业领域；5)制定加强和增加主要合作伙伴的光子学技术员产出的计划；以及6)完成并提交一份关于地区中心的综合提案。智力优势：联盟学院的管理团队有开发成功的光子学课程的经验。领先的学院一直是OP-TEC(NSF/ATE国家光学和光子学教育中心)的合作伙伴，PI是OPTEC光子学学院网络(OPCN)的主席，该网络由来自全国各地的35所大学组成。Op-TEC与全国各地的许多其他大学合作。佛罗里达光子学集群拥有大量成员，并与中佛罗里达大学电子光学和激光研究中心(CREOL)建立了联系，是光子业成功参与和合作的催化剂。该地区中心东南部大学的广泛参与可以改变大学和高中水平的光子学教育。更广泛的影响：一个最终的地区中心将有助于保持美国在光电子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。光子学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。美国东南部将提供广泛的光子学教育基础设施，这将加强和促进科学、技术、工程和数学领域的发展。教育者网络和雇主委员会将建立的伙伴关系将不仅对当地而且对整个国家产生有益和持久的影响。该地区中心将加大招生力度，增加招生多样性。作为性别平等合作社顾问委员会的成员，该协会将组织旨在吸引更多妇女和少数族裔加入这一方案的活动。成员大学还与西班牙裔和非裔美国人组织合作，以增加这些种族群体的学生数量。通过该中心与当地高中的接触，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数量。

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.