Author: Amee

Round Table 2: What is your reason for doing?

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Image Source: Goldenretrieverbailey on Instagram: https://instagram.com/goldenretrieverbailey/?utm_source=ig_embed

In this round table we discuss the idea of equity and meaning behind a degree, specifically a higher education degree in optics (which I will come back to). The central question is whether or not there is a problem with the amount of work, or quality of work, behind the same degree between two people. It is assumed that this is an actual occurrence (with many anecdotal pieces of evidence offered). The conversation transitioned and two clear view points arose. On one hand, the idea that you determine the value of your degree, and outsiders values should not meaningfully impact your reason for a degree or how you go about achieving the degree. The counter view was that to some extent the college and its alumni affect one another, such as a alumni can promote or dissuade groups from hiring from your college or academic group, thus impacting your future employment. A final undercurrent throughout is the idea that there is some, undefined, threshold that students should achieve before they can graduate, although due to how hard it was to pin down this seems to be a likely culprit for why comprehensive exams, orals, and defenses are so hated; making a test that everyone agrees defines some threshold beyond which you are an expert is extremely difficult.
Finally, I realized after listening again we entirely missed the mark by considering a wider scope, namely, outside of higher education, or optics, etc. This topic bears coming back to which we will hopefully do soon.

Balagopal on Industry, Optics, and Mathematics

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This week we sat down with Nirantha Balagopal to discuss her current work in industry at Edmund Optics. She also talked about her prior masters work at the University of Arizona as well as her studies in math and its ongoing application towards everyday life. For all of our optical engineers out there this is a really great episode, as Balagopal provides extremely interesting thoughts about the transition and difference from academics to industry and very practical tips to know when interfacing with an optical component provider to make your project more likely to succeed.

References:

1) Balagopalā€™s Master Thesis

2) Momsom on SPECT Imaging

3) The ABCs of Fluency

4) SPIE Women in Optics Survey 2017

5) Society of Women Engineers

6) Edmund Optics Youtube for Tutorials and Lessons

Discuss, donā€™t Lecture-Optics Roundtable

ā€˜Flat Earthā€™ (Image credit: NFCA Pictures / flickr)

This is the first optics roundtable conversation. The roundttable format is a new thing we are trying out, in which a group of scientists will gather over beers to discuss some interesting current topic in science. In this weekā€™s episode Edward LaVilla and Neil Momson joined the conversation to discuss two interesting topics. First, what is the best approach to discussing science with someone who holds a view on some scientific topic that you deem to be irrational? Do you tell them they are wrong, scoff, lecture to them what you hold to be right? Edward LaVilla proposed engaging all people in a scientific conversation, holding all curious and engaged parties as equals, and only making a prerequisite demand that rational and honest ideas be presented and generally to hold a scientific conversation. Building off of this concept, we then moved on to discussing Aumannian conversations, and how we arrive at defending absolute truths and generally what science is.

Resources and Links from this Episode:
Common Knowledge and Aumannā€™s Agreement Theorem

Are Disagreements Honest?

Edward LaVilla on Visual Optics, Inspiration, and the Spirit of Learning

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In this episode we sit down with the extremely dynamic Edward LaVilla, who is working on obtaining his doctorate in optical engineering. His work focuses on visual optics, although he has done research in a variety of other sub-fields inside of optics. Further, he brings the unique perspective of an entrepreneur, participating in the McGuire Entrepreneurship program at the University of Arizona and starting a small business. This is easily one of the most exciting and thought provoking interview we have done and I hope our listeners will enjoy.

References:

1) Ibn al-Haytham ā€œThe Father of Opticsā€: https://www.photonics.com/a36717/Before_Newton_there_was_Alhazen

2) Roorda Lab: http://roorda.vision.berkeley.edu/

3) Multmodal Retinal Imaging: https://www.amazon.com/Multimodal-Retinal-Imaging-Amresh-Chopdar/dp/1907816607

4)Statistical Model for Normal Eyes: http://iovs.arvojournals.org/article.aspx?articleid=2188017

Dr. Shuang Wu on Biostatistics

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This week we spoke with Dr. Shuang Wu, who received his doctorate in research relating to embryonic stem cell work. He decided to slightly alter his research focus and began working on bio-statistics. Dr. Shuang Wu shares his insights on what bio-statistics means for the average person, the nuances in statistical work with applications in biological systems, and the ethical consequences of bio-statistics work in the real world.

Spencer on Podiatry

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Daniel Spencer is a medical student who will be receiving his doctorate in podiatric medicine in May. This is an often overlooked field of medicine, which focuses on the foot, ankle, and lower leg area. Daniel sheds light on the field, current important topics in podiatry, as well as general insight and advice regarding medical school.

Episode Resources
1) Neuropathy
2) Ford on plasma research and nuclear engineering

Zafar on plasma diagnostics for nuclear fusion

Zafar in his lab
Zafar in lab working on his experimental setup.

This week we spoke with Abdullah Zafar, whose work focuses on diagnostics of plasma. Zafar discusses how optical spectroscopy can be used to study plasma effects and dynamics, which leads to a more robust understanding of plasma. There is some very interesting and cutting edge engineering at play in Zafarā€™s work, allowing him to attain extremely high resolution high accuracy spectroscopic results of scans of a plasma field in only two dimensions. Further, we discuss current and future plasma applications, graduate school, and Zafar shares words of advice for those considering or in the early stages of their research career.

References and Resources for this episode:

  1. ITER

Ford on plasma research and nuclear engineering

This week we sat down with Kris Ford to discuss plasma research, higher education, and motivation. Mr. Ford is a P.hD candidate pursuing his doctoral degree in nuclear engineering, specifically plasma research. He discusses the intricacies of his current work, including the ultra high precision fabrication capabilities and the statistical uncertainties related to the methods used. Further, we explore the motivations and challenges of remaining mentally healthy when engaged in high demand work, and some approaches to overcome the challenges associated with such a situation.

References:

  1. 4-START:Fourth State Applications Research Group (Research group Mr. Ford is currently part of)
  2. Mindset: The new psychology of succes by Dr. Carol S. Dweck
  3. Vasimr plasma engine
  4. Ā Photo Credit: Kris Ford. An oxygen plasma is created, which should have a cylindrical shape due to the powering coil shape. Ionization occurs in the power deposition region. In this case, an ā€˜orbā€™ forms however, a phenomenon currently unexplained.

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Koshel on Illumination, the Century of the Photon, and Academics


Rothko_Green on Blue_UniversityofArizona_MuseumofArt[Rothko, Green in Blue: http://artmuseum.arizona.edu/events/event/art-lab-presents]

This week we sat down with Dr. John Koshel, the Associate Dean as the College of Optical Sciences here at the UofA. Dr. Koshel has a long background in optical sciences, ranging from laser based research in graduate school at Rochester to illumination engineering in industry, and most recently as a researcher and Associate Dean. We discuss what illumination engineering is, his current research, the century of the photon and what we can expect in the future from optics, and his perspectives on graduate school and research. We really enjoyed speaking with Dr. Koshel and think that our listeners will get an enormous amount of knowledge and wisdom from this episode.

Relevant material to this episode:

Century of Optics: https://www.osapublishing.org/books/bookshelf/osa-century-optics.cfm

As always, we look forward to your feedback! Please comment or email us at thespotlightreport@gmail.com.

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