Photonics for a Better World

ACTION MAN: Brandon in the lab working on a lidar system Meet Brandon Hellman, this week's SPIE Faces of Photonics series feature. He is a student researcher at the University of Arizona, pursuing a PhD in Optical Sciences. Brandon and his colleagues work on making new lidar systems in Professor Yuzuru Takashima's lab. You can see a sample of their work on the College of Optical Sciences' YouTube page. Enjoy the interview with Brandon! 1. Share your favorite outreach or volunteer story.  Laser Fun Day is an annual optics outreach event put on by the Student Optics Chapter "SOCk" in the College of Optical Sciences. The event is free and open to the public, encouraging hundreds of children and adults of all ages to explore optics through hands-on demos put on by undergraduate and graduate students and faculty in the college.  Demos include a laser maze -- Mission: Impossible- style -- a six-foot-long kaleidoscope, laser radios, solar telescop...

Shelbi Jenkins and her cat, Beans SPIE's #FacesofPhotonics is sharing the story of Alaska-born Shelbi Jenkins, a PhD student studying at the University of Arizona's College of Optical Sciences. In the interview, Shelbi shares what she's working on in Bob Norwood's Magneto-Optics Lab at U of A, her most memorable outreach moment, and this adorable photo of her cat, Beans! 1. Tell us about when you first became interested in optics and photonics. As a part of my physics undergrad, I worked on a research project that looked at the industrial applications of ultra-fast laser ablation. That was when I was first exposed [to the field], and I decided that I wanted to learn more about optics and how it could be used. So, I decided to go to grad school and to study it! I am happy with my decision -- to me, photonics research feels like a nice balance between pure physics research and engineering. That is a nice perk considering I was never able to decide which I like...

Kelli Kiekens SPIE’s #FacesofPhotonics is a showcase across social media that connects SPIE members in the optics and photonics community around the world. It serves to highlight similarities, celebrate differences, and foster a space for conversation and  community to thrive. This week on #FacesofPhotonics we are sharing the story of  Kelli Kiekens, researcher at the University of Arizona in Dr. Barton's lab. From searching for a way to detect cancer earlier, to ballroom dancing, Kelli is a woman of many talents. We hope you enjoy her interview. 1. Tell us about when you first became interested in optics and photonics. During my undergraduate education, my senior design class concentrated on various topics within optics. The group project for that semester was a study of holography where we created different types of holograms using a few different methods.  The hologram Kelli made in her senior design class We could then compare the quality of the ...