Newport and Spectra-Physics Present Research Excellence Travel Grants

Dozens of students at SPIE Optics+Photonics networked with industry and academic leaders at a Student Lunch with the Experts hosted by SPIE Student Services on Monday. During the lunch, they received career advice and tips from optics professionals, and 11 young researchers accepted awards to cover their travel to San Diego.

The Newport and Spectra-Physics Research Excellence Travel Awards are “one of the most valuable things we do as a company,” according to Newport’s Randy Heyler, senior director of Strategic Marketing, who presented the awards. He called the award recipients “the future of our industry.”
Newport Corp. develops innovative products and solutions for lasers, opto-mechanical components and mounts, optical filters, photonic instruments, and other systems and devices. Spectra-Physics is a leader in laser technology.

Winners of the student awards included four from Pennsylvania State University, Michael Motyka, Michael Stinger, Justin Liou, and Jyotsna Bhamidipati. Also accepting awards at the luncheon were Ozan Cakmakci from the College of Optics & Photonics at the University of Central Florida; Ashwin Wagadarikar, Duke University; Lane Martin, Missouri University of Science and Technology; Jonathan Suter, University of Missouri at Columbia; Ramzi N. Zahreddine from the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; Ignacio Gallardo, University of Texas at Austin; and Neetu Chopra, University of Florida.

More news from the SPIE event in San Diego.