University of Arizona to Host Industry Affiliates Workshop

The University of Arizona's College of Optical Sciences next month will host a three-day event designed to keep its teaching aligned with industry needs.

The Industrial Affiliates Workshop and Corporate Showcase/Career Fair is planned for Oct. 7-9. Industrial Affiliate program members can attend for free; prospective members may attend as guests.

The program is designed to keep member organizations up to date with the university's latest optics research, allowing them to upgrade their own capabilities. In turn, the university stays up to date on industry best practices, which keeps the curriculum relevant.

Students benefit from coursework applicable in the industrial world — and have the opportunity to intern with leading optics companies.

This summer student interns worked on projects ranging from lens design to virtual reality displays to studies of the polarization behavior of unique light sources. They worked for companies including optical components supplier Edmund Optics Inc., UV lithography firm Cymer Inc. and Oculus VR LLC, a Facebook company working on virtual reality displays.

"The internship program is an exciting opportunity for our industrial affiliates, especially those with facilities far from the American Southwest," said Kaye Rowan, senior director of development for the College of Optical Sciences. "This is an opportunity for companies located throughout the country and worldwide to increase their visibility among students who will soon join the pool of highly qualified potential employees."

Companies interested in joining the program may contact Rowan at rowan@optics.arizona.edu.