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New Mexico Alliance of Optics & Photonics Education
New Mexico Alliance for Optics & Photonics

Partnerships: Collaboration amongst education, industry, and professional societies strengthens the Alliance

Educational Partners

A consortium of educational institutes have come together to create the New Mexico Alliance for Optics and Photonics Education. This educational alliance is helping fill the pipeline for the production of quality workers and professionals in the optics and photonics field.

The NM Alliance for Optics and Photonics Education is a growing and open alliance. The vision includes the involvement of more schools and more companies down the road.
– Marek Osinski, Research Professor, UNM (CHTM)

Industry Partners

The New Mexico Optics Industry Association (NMOIA) is the coalescing industrial alliance for the growing number of optical engineering, photonics and laser companies. Many of these companies have been showcased as a NM Flying 40 Award winner (recognizing the 40 fastest growing technology companies in the state). Industry partnerships offer career opportunities, ensure curricular relevancy, and foster community involvement. Members of industry provide internships, employment, curriculum development advice, equipment, funding, guest lecturing, tours, and onsite demonstrations to ignite the enthusiasm of students from middle school through university.

Professional Society Partners

The Albuquerque model has received state, regional and national attention and has been given international recognition via the International Commission for Optics. Nationally, the Optical Society of America, the International Society for Optical Engineering (SPIE), the Directed Energy Professional Society, and  Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Lasers & Electro-Optics Society have given it widespread visibility. Closer ties are established through student chapters and participation at professional and trade organization meetings.

Semiconductor growth techniques at CHTM foster leading edge technological progress, and advanced interaction between the academic, laboratory, and industrial communities.

Optical engineering degrees lead to cutting edge research at Sandia and CHTM where multi-functioning systems on a micro semiconductor chip create unusual photonics devices.