Author: Benjamin

Laser Fun Day!

Hello everyone,

Work has begun planning for Laser Fun Day, and we need your help once again to run the event. Please sign up here to be an event volunteer! Volunteers will be fed lunch and receive a volunteer shirt, on top of the great perk of seeing kids smile at all the cool science we’ll show them. This is our 7th Laser Fun Day, and we’re going to have a great time. We once again have BAE Systems, SPIE, and OSA as event sponsors, so we’re well funded and ready to inspire the next generation of scientists. I hope to see you there!

If you’d like to join the planning committee itself, please email sock.outreach@optics.arizona.edu to learn about meeting times and how you can help. Thanks!

Welcome to 2017

Hello everyone! Welcome to 2017 and a new semester.

On Friday, January 20th, we will have our first community speakers of the the semester. We’ve got a lot of announcements and important information to cover to get this semester on the road, including:

  • Announcing the winner of the Fall VIP Series competition, and awarding the $250 prize
  • Getting everyone pumped (optically, of course) for Laser Fun Day, which will be on March 25th this year!
  • Showcasing plans for the major spring events, like our camping trip, the State of the College Address with Dean Koch, and other social and academic activities
  • Giving updates on our grants awarded from SPIE and OSA, and the cool new projects that they enable us to do that we need your help with
  • Finally, the wait is over, they’ve arrived……. SOCk socks are here! Many of you ordered them a while back, and they’ve finally come. For those of you who paid already (we have a list of your names), we’ll be distributing them. We have a limited number of additional SOCk socks, so come and get them while you can!

Thanks everyone! I hope to see you Friday at noon in 410/408.

Ben Cromey
SOCk President

IONS Tucson Event Photos

Dr. Dae Wook Kim's Keynote
Katie Schwertz at the Women in Optics Presentation
Our poster competition winners
Happy 100th, OSA!
Dr. Sorger's Keynote
Dr. McEldowney's keynote

IONS Tucson was a success! We had visitors from all around the world and US, including Russia, Egypt, the UK, Germany, France, Canada, and Mexico. We are grateful for the keynote speakers for their time, the sponsors for their support, and all the students who came from around the world to spend the weekend here in Tucson. Here are a few pictures from the event.

IONS is almost here!

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Hey Everyone,

Our IONS Conference is right around the corner!

If you were at Community Speakers, then you’ve already heard that even if you aren’t presenting at IONS Tucson 2016, there are two events that you are invited to as our local students. We are having a social evening in Downtown Tucson on October 1st, and then a poster session on Sunday, October 2nd, and we’d like you there.

HOWEVER, we need you to RSVP so we know how many bus passes to get for Saturday, and how much food to order for Sunday night. Please sign up here! More info is in the form. IF you are already presenting, please don’t fill out this form. We’ll assume you’ll be there. 

Thanks!

 

Fall VIP Series — Accepting presenters

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This could be you! We got our award plaque in for the VIP series and it looks good. We are currently accepting presenters for the Fall VIP series competition if you’d like to see your name on this plaque. Colton Bigler won our spring VIP competition, and walked away with a nice $250 prize (and eternal glory).

If you’re interested in competing this year, please sign up here! Also, email Academics Chair Dawson Baker if you have questions about the competition.

This Friday: Community Speakers and Welcome Back BBQ!

BBQ view
Hey everyone!

This Friday, we hope to see you at our first Community Speakers event for the semester! This will be from 12-1PM in Mienel 410/408. Academics Chair Dawson Baker will be presenting on upcoming events and plans for SOCk in the fall, as well as introducing new officers.

Also this Friday, we are having our annual Welcome Back BBQ! Everyone in the College is invited to join us for a social time of eating food and hanging out. We will have burgers, hot dogs, and vegetarian options. This will be outside the 3rd floor lobby from 5-7PM. If you’re willing to lend us your grill, please send Jarod weber an email at jweber1@email.arizona.edu.

Thanks! I hope you will join us, reconnect with friends after the summer, and welcome the new students.

Welcome!

Welcome, optics students, to the new academic year!

I’m excited for all of the activities we’ve got lined up for this year. Last year we set records with how many people we told about optics with our outreach activities, and we had some amazing events as well. Let me give you an overview of what to expect for this fall.

  • We are hosting an OSA IONS Conference at the end of September. Check out the website here for more information! We invite you to present your work there in front of other OSA students from around the world.
  • We will again have our Fall Welcome Back BBQ in a few weeks here at the College. Stay tuned for more information.
  • Our Community Speakers series will resume shortly as well. If you’re interested in presenting, for a chance at $250 and eternal glory, please sign up here! Colton Bigler, a third year PhD student, won our VIP series competition in the spring. Your name could join his on the award plaque.
  • If you are not yet an OSA or SPIE student member, don’t forget to sign up! These professional societies will connect you to other students, give you scholarship opportunities, and help you stay in touch with your field of study. Check out both OSA and SPIE’s websites to learn more.

Thanks! Join our Facebook group and keep an eye out for emails from sock@optics.arizona.edu for important updates and information. I look forward to seeing you in the halls of the Meinel building.

Benjamin Cromey

2016-2017 SOCk President