Photonics for a Better World

March is Women's History Month, and we close out the month interviewing SPIE Fellow and Past President María Josefa Yzuel for our 'Why Light?' series. Emeritus Professor at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Yzuel works tirelessly to promote women in science, serving as a leading member of the SPIE Women in Optics group. She took time to answer questions from our series that leads up to the first International Day of Light, and explains why she feels that light is so important. 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 ...

Anne-Sophie Poulin-Girard is chair of the SPIE Education Committee, which monitors the educational activities of the Society and the quality of educational programs conducted in the name of the Society. Anne-Sophie, an Early Career Professional Member of SPIE is also the next community member to answer our 'Why Light?' series. The series is leading up to the first International Day of Light, and asks SPIE Members to explain why they feel light is so important. 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/...

Guest Blogger: Paul Gordon is the current Texas A&M SPIE student chapter president, and PhD student in the Optical Biosensing Lab.  In the fall of 2016, our SPIE chapter received a unique request; would we be able to help design a visual aid for a young boy with severe visual impairments? It was an easy answer; we would certainly try! A few months later Sully and his family traveled to Texas A&M for a day of activities, and a meeting to assess his condition. Meeting Sully As we found out, Sully was a lively kid who didn’t slow down much just because his vision wasn’t so good. He loves running, roughhousing, and all things baseball. It was a blast to meet and work with him and his family. Meeting the family What we learned is that Sully’s condition causes him to only be able to see out of a small, solid arc in the central periphery of one eye. With input from his parents, we decided that we would start simply and try to redirect his vision so that he can see obj...