Rochester Institute of Technology associate professor Jie Qiao collaborated with The Optical Society (OSA) Foundation to host the second annual symposium for women in optics and photonics. Jie Qiao is collaborating with the Optical Society (OSA) Foundation to host the second annual symposium for women in optics and photonics on Sept. 17 in Washington, D.C., as part of the Frontiers in Optics OSA Conference. Courtesy of RIT. The free Global Women of Light Symposium was held in Washington, D.C., as part of the Frontiers in Optics OSA Conference. Keynote speaker Elizabeth Rogan, CEO of OSA presented "Advancing Women in Optics." Panel and round-table discussions centered on the theme "Collectively Advancing Women Leadership in Science, Technology, Engineering and Entrepreneurship." Panelists included Aleksandra Boskovic, director of Corning Corp.; Dominique Dagenais, director of the U.S. National Science Foundation; Frederica Darema, director of the Air Force Office of Scientific Research; Susan O'Keefe, vice president of Edmund Optics; and Ursula Keller, professor at ETH Zürich. Qiao, an associate professor in RIT's Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science, focuses her research on ultrafast-laser-based photonics and optics fabrication, and optical metrology. She leads a team of students from all levels and mentors two female Ph.D. students. Qiao is also the founder and chair of WiSTEE Connect, a professional association with an international membership that promotes women's career growth through mentorship and leadership. "The goal of the second Global Women of Light Symposium is to continue building a strong network among women across academia, industry and government, and to cooperatively establish strategies to advance women's leadership across career ranks," Qiao said.