Photonics for a Better World

As we have heard from countless members of the optics and photonics community, raising awareness of optics among the public and sparking interest in students at a young age are crucial to the future of light-based technology. Each year, SPIE provides International Day of Light (IDL) Micro Grants to SPIE Members who want to celebrate the importance of light and share that knowledge with their community. These activities must take place during the month of May, tying directly to the cross-global festivities held on the 16th of that month. You can learn more about our Micro Grant program  here . With less than two weeks until the 2019 IDL, we are revisiting some of the 2018 IDL SPIE Micro Grant winners from around the world, showcasing their celebrations of light and its impact. The University of Southampton in England and Stellenbosch University in South Africa both took the approach of "good things come in threes!" for their Micro Grant activities. Read on to see what the...

As we get closer to the 2019 International Day of Light, we will be re-visiting our 2018 IDL Micro Grant winners from around the world, and showcasing their celebration of this annual event in their communities. This week we visit Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire, and Islamabad, Pakistan to meet the innovative organizations who celebrated IDL 2018 with the help of an SPIE Micro Grant. Each year, SPIE provides International Day of Light (IDL) Micro Grants to SPIE Members who want to celebrate the importance of light and share that knowledge with their community. These activities must take place during the month of May and tie directly to the cross-global festivities held on the 16th of that month. Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny Students gather outside the INP-HB before talks and demonstrations On the 31st of May last year, over 320 high school, undergraduate, and graduate students, as well as their teachers, joined the general public for a celebration...

WOMEN-IN-STEM ADVOCATE: Madison Rilling shares her knowledge Meet Canada-native and this week's SPIE Faces of Photonics feature, Madison Rilling. Madison is pursuing a PhD in Physics at Université Laval, in the Center for Optics, Photonics, and Lasers. She is also a part of the Université Laval’s Cancer Research Center. Both are located in Québec City, Canada. Madison is enthusiastic about science policy: "I am making my first steps in the world of science policy. I am -- or I try to be -- a strong advocate for next-generation scientists and women and girls in STEM." When she isn't in the lab, you’ll probably find Madison running, hiking, playing volleyball, or "...enjoying a good book in one hand and a tea in the other." STEP IT UP:  Rilling's  favorite hike, Garibaldi Lake in BC, Canada Enjoy the interview! 1. How did you become interested in the optics and photonics field? I did more of a theoretical undergraduate in math & phy...

The first International Day of Light was 16 May 2018, and SPIE joined citizens around the globe in celebration of lifesaving, life-enhancing light. To assist communities in the organization of their own celebrations of light, SPIE made available micro-grants worth up to US$3,000 to help fund and execute their events.  Available to SPIE Members, the grants provided for planned activities that highlighted the critical role that light plays in our daily lives. The activity also had to occur during the month of May 2018 and tie directly to the inaugural event on the 16th. Our 2018 SPIE IDL Micro Grant recipients included: Martina Mrongovius and the Center for the Holographic Arts (USA) Thouakesseh Jeremie Zoueu and Institut National Polytechnique Felix Houphouet-Boigny (Cote D'Ivoire) Amar Deo Chandra and IISER Kolkata (India) Jesús Carlos Alberto Obando Aguirre and the Instituto de Luz Ambiente y Visión (Argentina) P.T. Ajith Kumar and Light Logics Holograp...

The Day of Light is fast approaching and we continue our 'Why Light?' series interviewing Ignacio Moreno of the Universidad Miguel Hernandez de Elche in Spain. Ignacio is also President of the Spanish Society of Optics (SEDOPTICA) and the co-lead for the International Day of Light node in Spain. He answered questions in our series that leads up to the first International Day of Light, explaining what light means to him and to the greater global community. The inaugural International Day of Light – IDL – will take place 16 May 2018. IDL is a global initiative that provides an annual focal point for the continued appreciation of light. This day recognizes light and the vital role it plays in science, culture and art, education, and sustainable development. On 16 May, join SPIE and communities worldwide by participating in activities that illustrate how the science and art of light improves all our lives. For more information and to plan your own event, visit spie.org/...

The first International Day of Light (IDL) is less than a month away. A global initiative highlighting the importance of light and light-based technologies, communities around the world are planning events celebrating IDL on 16 May. First Place Winner of the 2017 SPIE IDL Photo Contest SPIE will participate in outreach events local to our community in Bellingham, Washington, attend the inauguration in Paris, France, and host an IDL reception for our conference attendees at SPIE Optical Systems Design in Frankfurt, Germany taking place May 14-17. SPIE is also supporting local events in 13 different communities from the US to India, Canada to South Africa, who were awarded SPIE IDL Micro Grants to create activities that highlight the critical role light plays in our daily lives. Do you need some ideas on how to show your appreciation of light on the 16th? Here is our top ten list of ways you can celebrate IDL 2018: 1. Throw a Celebration:  Light up your party with ligh...