A Commitment to Academic Excellence
The CLPR has been instrumental
in helping OSU attract and retain nationally and internationally
prominent faculty and high-quality students. Since the late 1970s,
rapid advances in critical new electronic and optics technologies
have led to a dramatic increase in laser and photonics applications.
As a result, the demand for graduates trained in these areas will
continue to grow in both the public and private sectors well into
the 21st century. To uphold its commitment to academic excellence
and to meet the need for advanced education and training,
the CLPR has been in the forefront of an effort to establish a
multidisciplinary Photonics Advanced Degree Program,
the goal of which is to increase the number of scientists and
engineers preparing for research careers in the field of photonics
and to better prepare them for the job market through multidisciplinary
academic and research training. The CLPR, along with the Departments
of Chemistry and Physics and the School of Electrical and Computer
Engineering, is proud to announce that the program graduated its
first master's candidate this summer, with other graduates expected
in December.
Students in this multidisciplinary Master of Science degree program
may pursue a MS in Photonics or Biophotonics with a specialization
in chemistry, electrical engineering, or physics. Course work
encompassing chemistry, electrical engineering, materials science,
and physics will be tailored to the goals of each student as he/she
is mentored by a selected faculty member from the department of
specialization and guided by his/her Advisory Committee. This
is exactly the type of multidisciplinary training students will
need to succeed in the next century.
More exciting still, the National Science Foundation announced
in early October that the CLPR has received a $2.15 million Interdisciplinary
Graduate Education and Research Training grant. This grant will
be utilized to develop the Advanced Graduate Training Program
in Photonics Research, and will provide Ph.D. training in photonics.
The program includes a flexible core curriculum and graduate research
courses made possible through the interdisciplinary efforts of
the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Departments
of Chemistry and Physics. Program scholars will participate in
advanced research, attend technical seminars, and fulfill industrial
internships. In addition, OSU's College of Business Administration
will offer a special lecture series in which students can learn
about timely industry issues. The entire program is designed to
build a bridge between academia and the world of industry and
government collaboration. The CLPR hopes this program will help
OSU students start spin-off high-tech companies in Oklahoma, thus
promoting the state's economy as well.
Oklahoma State University has developed the strongest photonics
program in the state, and these degree programs are the only ones
of their kind in Oklahoma. OSU's nationally recognized photonics
research programs are funded by the National Science Foundation,
Department of Defense, Department of Energy, and the National
Institutes of Health. In addition to funding from federal agencies,
the CLPR's research is supported by private industries such as
Eagle-Picher Technologies, 3M, and WorldCom, and private foundations
such as the Kerr Foundation, the Keck Foundation, and the Presbyterian
Health Foundation. This broad support enables the CLPR to conduct
cutting-edge research related to new laser and photonics technologies.
That research and the equipment utilized therein, in turn enriches
students' experience in photonics training.
These degree plans will utilize existing facilities in the Center
for Laser and Photonics Research including semiconductor growth
systems and state-of-the-art apparatuses such as ultrafast laser
systems in the picosecond and femtosecond regimes. Construction
of a new cleanroom and advanced semiconductor growth facilities
is also in progress and will be the training ground for students,
who will acquire hands-on experience and highly advanced skills
and knowledge in semiconductor-related technology. Students will
be comprehensively trained in a very fertile multidisciplinary
research environment, designed so that students can transfer their
skills immediately to the employment sector. Consequently, students
will possess truly valuable expertise in fields where there is
immediate demand for their skills.
Industries have expressed a strong interest in this degree program,
so clearly there will be excellent job prospects for the graduates.
Texas Instruments, Hewlett Packard, IBM, Xerox, Lucent Technologies,
Honeywell, Martin Marieta, and TRW are only a few of the companies
that have high demands for students trained in these areas. The
availability of highly trained students is a great resource of
talent for any company. With the establishment of the new Photonics
Advanced Degrees, OSU will meet new educational demands, while
strengthening the technological base of the country and enhancing
the future productivity of program participants.