This PDF file contains the front matter associated with SPIE Proceedings Volume 9188 including the Title Page, Copyright information, Table of Contents, Introduction, and the Conference Committee listing.

Investment in laser technology has led to significant advances in remote sensing, astronomy, industrial processing, and medical technology. To celebrate this rich heritage and promote public awareness in optics and photonics, the SPIE Student Chapter at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) developed the Laser Propagation Demonstration (LPD). This interactive demonstration serves as one of AFIT’s legacy outreach projects for events involving education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Initially developed with funding from a LaserFest grant awarded by SPIE in 2010, the goal was to develop a simple hands-on demonstration to highlight the optical effects of diffraction, refraction, and attenuation on laser propagation. Since then, the LPD has undergone several upgrades (thanks to the continued support from a 2012 SPIE Education Outreach Grant) to better highlight these optical phenomena and make it more engaging for a wider range of audiences. This paper celebrates the continued success of the LPD and shares the knowledge gained with an overview of its design and use in STEM-based outreach events.

While graduate level optics and photonics education in the state of Michigan has a rich tradition, college level programs that produce photonics technicians are virtually non-existent. Baker College has started the first two-year photonics program in the state in fall 2013. The program is leveraging support from Mi-Light, the Michigan Photonics Cluster; OP-TEC, the National Center for Optics and Photonics Education; and an NSF Project Grant awarded to the College. In its first year the photonics program has achieved important milestones - convening an Advisory Board with industry participation, developing almost the entire curriculum, and creating a fully functional optics and photonics laboratory. Outreach activities have also taken place. The paper will describe the steps taken to introduce the new program and the lessons learned along the way.

Capstone senior design is the culmination of a student’s undergraduate engineering education that prepares them for engineering practice. In fact, any engineering degree program that pursues accreditation by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET must contain “a major design experience based on the knowledge and skills acquired in earlier course work and incorporating appropriate engineering standards and multiple realistic constraints.” At Rose-Hulman, we offer an interdisciplinary Optical Engineering / Engineering Physics senior design curriculum that meets this requirement. Part of this curriculum is a two-course sequence where students work in teams on a design project leading to a functional prototype. The students begin work on their capstone project during the first week of their senior year. The courses are deliverable-driven and the students are held accountable for regular technical progress through weekly updates with their faculty advisor and mid-term design reviews. We have found that client-sponsored projects offer students an enriched engineering design experience as it ensures consideration of constraints and standards requirements similar to those that they will encounter as working engineers. Further, client-sponsored projects provide teams with an opportunity for regular customer interactions which help shape the product design. The process that we follow in both soliciting and helping to scope appropriate industry-related design projects will be described. In addition, an outline of the capstone course structure as well as methods used to hold teams accountable for technical milestones will be discussed. Illustrative examples of past projects will be provided.

The international nature of science and engineering research demands that students have the skillsets necessary to collaborate internationally. However, limited options exist for science and engineering undergraduates who want to pursue research abroad. The NanoJapan International Research Experience for Undergraduates Program is an innovative response to this need. Developed to foster research and international engagement among young undergraduate students, it is funded by a National Science Foundation Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) grant. Each summer, NanoJapan sends 12 U.S. students to Japan to conduct research internships with world leaders in terahertz (THz) spectroscopy, nanophotonics, and ultrafast optics. The students participate in cutting-edge research projects managed within the framework of the U.S-Japan NSF-PIRE collaboration. One of our focus topics is THz science and technology of nanosystems (or ‘TeraNano’), which investigates the physics and applications of THz dynamics of carriers and phonons in nanostructures and nanomaterials. In this article, we will introduce the program model, with specific emphasis on designing high-quality international student research experiences. We will specifically address the program curriculum that introduces students to THz research, Japanese language, and intercultural communications, in preparation for work in their labs. Ultimately, the program aims to increase the number of U.S. students who choose to pursue graduate study in this field, while cultivating a generation of globally aware engineers and scientists who are prepared for international research collaboration.

The Office of Instruction and Assessment at the University of Arizona currently offers a Certificate in College Teaching Program. The objective of this program is to develop the competencies necessary to teach effectively in higher education today, with an emphasis on learner-centered teaching. This type of teaching methodology has repeatedly shown to have superior effects compared to traditional teacher-centered approaches. The success of this approach has been proven in both short term and long term teaching scenarios. Students must actively participate in class, which allows for the development of depth of understanding, acquisition of critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. As optical science graduate students completing the teaching program certificate, we taught a recitation class for OPTI 370: Photonics and Lasers for two consecutive years. The recitation was an optional 1-hour long session to supplement the course lectures. This recitation received positive feedback and learner-centered teaching was shown to be a successful method for engaging students in science, specifically in optical sciences following an inquiry driven format. This paper is intended as a guide for interactive, multifaceted teaching, due to the fact that there are a variety of learning styles found in every classroom. The techniques outlined can be implemented in many formats: a full course, recitation session, office hours and tutoring. This guide is practical and includes only the most effective and efficient strategies learned while also addressing the challenges faced, such as formulating engaging questions, using wait time and encouraging shy students.

Forty-five high school students engaged in hands-on optics applications of pre-calculus topics. Pre- and post-testing was conducted to determine changes in attitudes towards mathematics education. Experiments were performed in community college labs and in the high school classroom, facilitated by college and high school faculty and with the assistance of SPIE student chapter members. We will describe the structure and activities of the four-month program and pre/post test results.

A physics undergraduate degree major in optics and communication technology has been offered at King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL), Bangkok, Thailand. There are nine required three credit hour courses including two laboratory courses plus a number of selections in optics and communication based technology courses. For independent thinking and industrial working skills, nine credit hours of research project, practical training or overseas studies are included for selection in the final semester. Students are encouraged to participate in international conferences and professional organizations. Recently the program, with support from SPIE and OSA, has organized its first international conference on photonic solutions 2013 (ICPS 2013).

The paper will present how the students learn to find technical solutions in color management by using adequate digital devices and recognize the specific upcoming tasks in this area. Several issues, problems and their solutions will be discussed. The scientific background offer specific didactical solutions in this area of optics. Color management is the major item of this paper. Color management is a crucial responsibility for media engineers and designers. Print, screen and mobile applications must independently display the same colors. Predictability and consistency in the color representation are the aims of a color management system. This is only possible in a standardized and audited production workflow. Nowadays digital media have a fast-paced development process. An increasing number of different digital devices with different display sizes and display technologies are a great challenge for every color management system. The authors will present their experience in the field of color management. The design and development of a suitable learning environment with the required infrastructure is in the focus. The combination of theoretical and practical lectures creates a deeper understanding in the area of the digital color representation.

Color science is perhaps the most universally tangible discipline within the optical sciences for people of all ages. Excepting a small and relatively well-understood minority, we can see that the world around us consists of a multitude of colors; yet, describing the “what”, “why”, and “how” of these colors is not an easy task, especially without some sort of equally colorful visual aids. While static displays (e.g., poster boards, etc.) serve their purpose, there is a growing trend, aided by the recent permeation of small interactive devices into our society, for interactive and immersive learning. However, for the uninitiated, designing software and hardware for this purpose may not be within the purview of all optical scientists and engineers. Enter open source. Open source “anything” are those tools and designs -- hardware or software -- that are available and free to use, often without any restrictive licensing. Open source software may be familiar to some, but the open source hardware movement is relatively new. These are electronic circuit board designs that are provided for free and can be implemented in physical hardware by anyone. This movement has led to the availability of some relatively inexpensive, but quite capable, computing power for the creation of small devices. This paper will showcase the design and implementation of the software and hardware that was used to create an interactive demonstration kit for color. Its purpose is to introduce and demonstrate the concepts of color spectra, additive color, color rendering, and metamers.

Investment in laser technology has led to significant advances in remote sensing, astronomy, industrial processing, and medical technology. To celebrate this rich heritage and promote public awareness in optics and photonics, the SPIE Student Chapter at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) developed the Laser Propagation Demonstration (LPD). This interactive demonstration serves as one of AFIT’s legacy outreach projects for events involving education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Initially developed with funding from a LaserFest grant awarded by SPIE in 2010, the goal was to develop a simple hands-on demonstration to highlight the optical effects of diffraction, refraction, and attenuation on laser propagation. Since then, the LPD has undergone several upgrades (thanks to the continued support from a 2012 SPIE Education Outreach Grant) to better highlight these optical phenomena and make it more engaging for a wider range of audiences. This paper celebrates the continued success of the LPD and shares the knowledge gained with an overview of its design and use in STEM-based outreach events.

For the July 2013 issue of SPIE Professional Magazine, I was invited to and published an article related to this topic. This paper chronicles the progress made since that time and describes our direction towards bringing optics education from the informal programs we have provided for more than 10 years, to incorporating optics and photonics instruction into formal class curriculum. A major educational tool we are using was introduced at this conference two years ago and came to us from Eyest_vzw. The Photonics Explorer Kit has been used as a foundation during some OptoBotics courses and it has been provided, a long with a teacher training session, to 10 local high school science teachers in Orange County, CA. The goal of this first phase is to obtain feedback from the teachers as they use the materials in their formal classroom settings and after-school activities; such as science classes and robotics club activities. Results of the teachers’ initial feedback will be reviewed and future directions outlined. One clear direction is to understand the changes that will be required to the kits to formally gain acceptance as part of the California state high school science curriculum. Another is to use the Photonics Explorer kits (and other similar tools) to teach students in robotics clubs ‘how to give their robots eyes.”

The digital revolution is going full steam ahead, with a constantly growing number of new devices providing a steady increase in complexity and power. Most of the success is based on one important invention: the microprocessor/microcontroller. In this paper the authors present how to integrate microcontrollers and optical sensors in the curricula of media engineering by combining subjects of media technology, optics, information technology and media design. Hereby the aim is not to teach these topics separate from each other, but to bring them together in interdisciplinary lectures, projects and applications. Microcontrollers can be applied in various ways to teach content from the fields of optics and photonics. They can be used to control LEDs, displays, light detectors and infrared sensors, which makes it possible to build measuring instruments like e.g. a lux meter, a light barrier or an optical distance meter. The learning goals are to stimulate the student’s interest in the multiplicity of subjects related to this course and to support a deeper understanding of the close connections between them. The teaching method that the authors describe in their paper turned out to be very successful, as the participants are motivated to bring in their own ideas for projects, they spend more time than requested and as many students return to the courses as tutors. It is an example for effectual knowledge transfer and exchange of ideas among students.

A broad theoretical knowledge in Optics and Photonics is essential for media engineers. A combination of theory in the lectures augmented by practical work during the laboratory experiments forms the foundation of our gradual approach in communicating clearly and intensively all of the required topics. All laboratory experiments are guided but carried out by the students themselves and produced with a modern high-speed camera. This offers possibilities to analyze and iterate very fast phenomena. The slow motion footage makes it easily to analyze, to measure and to calculate certain sequences. This leads to a very intensive discussion regarding the provided topics and the used camera technology, resulting in a high standard knowledge transfer. Physics get now visible and more accessible for students. This paper presents how the students execute and analyze experiments using modern technology. The results are prepared as media-friendly computer animation and video recordings.

Young people often have biased and pre-conceived ideas about scientists and engineers that can dissuade them from considering a career in optics. This situation is compounded by the fact that existing resources on careers in optics are not suitable since they mostly focus on more general occupations such as a physicist and an electrical engineer. In addition, the linguistic register is not adapted for students, and many of these resources are only available to guidance counselors. To create appropriate resources that will inform high school students on different career opportunities in optics and photonics, we sought the collaboration of our local optics community. We selected seven specific occupations: entrepreneur in optics, university professor, teacher, technician, research and development engineer, sales representative and graduate student in optics. For each career, a list of daily tasks was created from the existing documentation by a guidance counselor and was validated by an expert working in the field of optics. Following a process of validation, we built surveys in which professionals were asked to select the tasks that best represented their occupation. The surveys were also used to gather other information such as level of education and advice for young people wishing to pursue careers in optics. Over 175 professionals answered the surveys. With these results, we created a leaflet and career cards that are available online and depict the activities of people working in optics and photonics. We hope that these resources will help counter the negative bias against scientific careers and inform teenagers and young adults on making career choices that are better suited to their preferences and aspirations.

One of the important aspects of SPIE is “Community Support and Outreach Education”, which should raise awareness and interest in optics and photonics among the targeted communities and school children. Hence as part of SPIE IIT Madras student chapter, we carried out SPIE SOAP, a ‘School Outreach Activity Program’. Two types of schools were identified, one a high socio-economic status school and the other a low socio-economic status school having a majority of poor children. Optics related scientific experiments were demonstrated in these schools followed by oral quiz session to the students to assess the level of their knowledge before and after the experiments. We also clubbed this activity with “Vision Screening” and distribution of free spectacles for those children who live below poverty line. Out of the 415 children screened, 60.84% eyes were having normal vision, while 39.16% were found to have refractive errors (Myopia 35.78% and Hyperopia 3.38%) where some of them could not even read the board. Treatable eye diseases were also found in 0.72% of the children. The entire activity is been discussed and documented in this paper.

Through the ongoing educational outreach activities of the NES/OSA, we have been invited on several occasions to present optics workshops to students of many ages and backgrounds. With a nearly-overwhelming plethora of optics topics that could be presented, we have decided to develop a curriculum on color science that can be presented in a workshop format. Color science was chosen due to the wealth of examples of the application of color within a student’s culture, society, technology, and experiences. The goal of the workshop is to teach basic color science by examining objects and events that the students can experience or interact with in their own lives. The curriculum can be scaled to match groups of different sizes and backgrounds as well as to fit within certain time constraints. Depending on logistics, a variety of hands-on demos can be presented, or the workshop can be fully tutorial-based. This curriculum has been presented several times and is constantly evolving based upon each experience. In this paper, we present the portions of the curriculum that have been developed to date. We discuss considerations for adding or removing sections to meet specific workshop constraints. We will also present the evolution of the curriculum from inception to its current state, highlighting the lessons learned from each presentation of the curriculum.

In a traditional Connecticut elementary school setting, the classroom teacher will teach language arts, social studies and science curriculum. For 5^th grade, the science curriculum includes learning about the senses and moon phases, in addition to the fundamentals of light. For art, music and physical education, students are sent to teachers who have certifications in teaching these subjects. In support of the science curriculum, we have traditionally provided workshops to enhance and supplement existing science curriculum. This method of instruction has become a routine. What if we invigorate the curriculum by using visual art to teach science? Will the students achieve a greater understanding of the principals of light? In this paper, we will explore the use of art to enhance the understanding of color and light phenomena.

The paper focuses on the work of an interdisciplinary project between photonics and digital art. The result is a poster collection dedicated to the International Year of Light 2015. In addition, an internet platform was created that presents the project. It can be accessed at http://www.magic-of-light.org/iyl2015/index.htm. From the idea to the final realization, milestones with tasks and steps will be presented in the paper. As an interdisciplinary project, students from technological degree programs were involved as well as art program students. The 2015 Anniversaries: Alhazen (1015), De Caus (1615), Fresnel (1815), Maxwell (1865), Einstein (1905), Penzias Wilson, Kao (1965) and their milestone contributions in optics and photonics will be highlighted.

This work shows the results obtained from the “O4K” Project supported by International Society for Optics and Photonis (SPIE) and the Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon (UANL) through its SPIE Student Chapter and the Dr. Juan Carlos Ruiz-Mendoza, outreach coordinator of the Facultad de Ciencias Fisico Matematicas of the UANL. Undergraduate and graduate students designed Optics representative activities using easy-access materials that allow the interaction of children with optics over the exploration, observation and experimentation, taking as premise that the best way to learn Science is the interaction with it. Several activities were realized through the 2011-2013 events with 1,600 kids with ages from 10 to 12; the results were analyzed using surveys. One of the principal conclusions is that in most of the cases the children changed their opinions about Sciences in a positive way.

This summer BMSTU SPIE Student Chapter have decided to visit Kabardino-Balkaria Republic of Caucasus (Russia) and spent there a week with children in a camp. It was called Summer school. We decided to organize it in order to engage talented and curious children in Optics and to show them how science could be funny. Education and entertainment program included such activities as lectures, optical demonstrations, laser games, hiking in the forest, and others. As a result children had a good time outdoors, learned interesting facts about optics and lasers, and of course found new friends who are keen to know more too. Four Chapter members and about 70 children of age 10-16 took part in this event.

This paper describes the work of some SPIE student chapter members to create interest in students on optics by teaching students in upper primary schools in and around college premises on fundamental concepts of light such as reflection, refraction, diffraction, etc. This paper discusses about how the outcome based education (OBE) is helpful in learning optics interesting rather than the traditional way of learning. In order to achieve this, students are divided into groups and conducted a workshop. Student learning outcomes were assessed at the end of the program. The program is useful to us to improve our understanding of how students learn light - related principles and provide evidence of the learning outcomes on the subject. Our research established that students in every classroom learned optics concepts, uncovered student ideas about optics, and identified ways to support and supplement the curriculum for use in classrooms.

Koç University SPIE student chapter has been organizing the solar powered model vehicle race and outreaching K-12 students. The solar powered model vehicle race for car, boat, blimp, all solar panel boat, submarine, underwater rower, amphibian, and glider have been successfully organized.

As part of the course curriculum of Physics of class XII, students do a comprehensive theoretical study about the wave nature of light specially related to interference, diffraction and polarisation. But, these studies are not backed up by any experiments. This makes the understanding of these complex topics very difficult. The purpose of the present outreach activity is to make students do many hands-on experiments on the above topics. The experiments have been designed keeping in mind the various theoretical concepts taught to the students. The studies are helpful in making the students understand fringe formation, intensity variation across the fringes formed helping them compare interference and diffraction fringes, dependence of fringe separation on various parameters, linear polarization, Malus‟ law and Brewster‟s law. The tools used to perform the experiments include He-Ne/ diode laser(s), Laptop/Digital Storage Oscilloscope, CCD, various optical components like set of polarisers and analysers, glass plate and hardware components like single slit and double slit. The class XII students are divided into batches and each batch is handled by a team of three University of Delhi at ANDC SPIE student chapter members. The gains of the activity are measured through pre and post-tests.