|
Central Carolina Community College Students Tour Synoptics & UNCC Campus |
LILLINGTON – Second year students in the Laser and Photonics Technology program at Central Carolina Community College’s Harnett Campus, experienced firsthand learning of photonics applications on a field trip to Charlotte October 1st and 2nd. On October 1st, the students toured the Center for Optoelectronics and Optical Communications on the University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s campus. The tour was conducted by Scott Williams, Research Operations Manager, who is an advisor to the CCCC LPT program. Mr. Williams toured the students through various research labs, pointing out, and discussing, some advanced photonics applications. On October 2nd, the students toured Synoptics, a division of Northrup Grumman. Synoptics is one of the few manufacturers in the world of crystals used in solid state lasers. Dr. Kevin Stevens, Director of Research & Development at Synoptics, who is also an advisor to the CCCC LPT program, conducted the tour. Dr. Stevens toured the students through all of the processes used to make the special crystals, explaining all of the science and technology used in each process. The laser students came away from the tour very excited to actually see laser crystal rods made that they had studied in classroom lectures and labs.
Touring from the laser program were students Chris Baggett, Kaitlyn Camp, Al Delong, Colt Dudley, Andreina McIver, Carlos Salas Moreno, all from Harnett County, Shelley Parker and Alex Voytik, from Lee County, Jeremy Knoll, from Sampson County, and Chris Loehr, from Wake County, and laser program lead instructor Gary Beasley. During the tours, they were able to observe some of the latest technology in the laser and photonics industry. In addition, students were able to get answers to some very difficult technical questions that arose during the tours – making for a great learning experience!
Central Carolina C.C. has a laser club and student chapter of SPIE in their photonics curriculum. The field trip was funded through the club and student chapter. Photonics is the study of the use of light, such as lasers, for industrial and other purposes.
To learn more about Central Carolina Community College’s Laser & Photonics Technology program, contact Beasley at (910) 814-8828 or by email at gbeasley@cccc.edu. To learn more about SPIE, visit http://spie.org/.
Touring from the laser program were students Chris Baggett, Kaitlyn Camp, Al Delong, Colt Dudley, Andreina McIver, Carlos Salas Moreno, all from Harnett County, Shelley Parker and Alex Voytik, from Lee County, Jeremy Knoll, from Sampson County, and Chris Loehr, from Wake County, and laser program lead instructor Gary Beasley. During the tours, they were able to observe some of the latest technology in the laser and photonics industry. In addition, students were able to get answers to some very difficult technical questions that arose during the tours – making for a great learning experience!
Central Carolina C.C. has a laser club and student chapter of SPIE in their photonics curriculum. The field trip was funded through the club and student chapter. Photonics is the study of the use of light, such as lasers, for industrial and other purposes.
To learn more about Central Carolina Community College’s Laser & Photonics Technology program, contact Beasley at (910) 814-8828 or by email at gbeasley@cccc.edu. To learn more about SPIE, visit http://spie.org/.
