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/...

Liz Dreyer is an Early Career Professional Member of SPIE and chair of the SPIE Future Leaders Committee. Liz 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/IDL . Meet SPIE Member  Liz Dreyer , Chair, SPIE Future Leaders Committee What about light inspires you? I am inspired by the divers...

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...

Guest blogger: Sidney Goossens is a PhD student and past president of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel SPIE Student Chapter in 2017. Last year was an eventful one for the SPIE student chapter of Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) as BA, MA and PhD candidates celebrated its 10th anniversary with a special edition of Light Night, a yearly photonics event showcasing an international range of speakers from across academia and industry. The early years The chapter was founded in 2007 by former chapter President Jürgen Van Erps , Vice President Nathalie Vermeulen and advisor professor Hugo Thienpont . From 2008 onward, networking activities and job-related events were frequently organized with the support of the SPIE invited-lecturer program, offering students various opportunities to discover the industry’s world of photonics. As the popularity of the events grew and attendance increased, many events were combined into the annual Light Night, which launched officially in 2014. The...

We talk to SPIE CEO Eugene Arthurs in the second installment of our 'Why Light?' series. The series is leading up to the first International Day of Light, where we asked members of the SPIE community 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/IDL . Meet SPIE CEO Eugene Arthurs , Steering Committee Member of IDL 2018 What about light inspires you? There are multiple aspects to my delight in light. I am using words deliberately to highlight the posi...

In preparation for the first International Day of Light, we asked members of the SPIE community to explain why they feel light is so important. We will feature their answers throughout the coming months as we get ready to celebrate the first IDL. 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/IDL . Meet SPIE Member John Dudley , Steering Committee Chair of IDL 2018 What about light inspires you? I am fascinated by the properties of light and how it is so central to all areas of science. Space ...