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Newsletter Volume 29, Number 3
November 2024 | | |
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Greetings,
This program year has been off to a great start, and we have one more meeting before taking a break for the holidays and we have some great events in the works for next year including January which will hopefully be at a new venue in the Pasadena area. Plus, our outreach is back into the full swing.
As many of you know, we are looking at ways to better serve both our members and corporate members, which will be a focus of our March meeting. | | | However, prior to that, we plan to have a survey to address things like our website and specifically the jobs board and how the society can help individuals, companies, educational institutions and other organizations work together to build a stronger local optics community. This is something that every member can help with as we know there are many companies with a heavy optics focus, but since none of their coworkers are members, they do not think about the OSSC. Plus, we are in discussions with other societies on partnering with them for their meetings; however, we need to make sure the time and effort makes the relationship mutually beneficial. So, there are a lot of exciting things happening, and if you have interest in just one of them, please reach out and we can get you on a committee to help, learn, network and contribute. I look forward to seeing you at the next meeting.
Nicholas J Croglio Jr.
OSSC President 2024-2025
| 13 November 2024
OSSC Meeting |
The Optical Alignment Of Large Land-Based Telescopes
| | Join us November 13 for our third meeting of the active period where we continue our journey of the world's largest and most important ground-based telescopes. This month's meeting features an international perspective by renowned New Zealand-based optical consultant Dr. Andrew Rakich whose expertise has led to the realization of telescopes around the globe for both European and US based organizations.
| | | | Attend On-line or In Person
6:00 pm: In-Person Reception
7:00 pm: On-line Login & Networking
7:00 pm: Dinner
7:30 pm: OSSC Business
8:00 pm: Technical Presentation
Dinner Fee:
Members: $35, Non-Members: $45, Student Members: $10
Late Fees of $10, after 11:59 pm October 8
(No Fee for attending without dinner)
Holiday Inn - Los Angeles Gateway
19800 S Vermont
Torrance, CA
| | | From The Education & Outreach Chair |
Dear OSSC Members & Friends,
This OSSC year has started off with many excellent activities in many aspects of our society; including Education & Outreach. The most obvious change in the OSSC is clearly the new look, feel and function of the OSSC Website. Our Webmaster Bob Cartland has led our website site teams for over 15 years and now he has done a fabulous job (IMHO) with completely reinventing our website. This not only looks good but helps our OSSC Leadership Teams provide much improved services to our members and the public. Thanks Bob !!
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This new website helps our Education & Outreach programs by providing new ways to share information about upcoming events and the results of past events, so those OSSC members and friends that want to learn more about these activities have an easy way to access this information and participate in the events as time permits.
This OSSC year has seen a dramatic rise in the number and quality of events, many of which we have and will continue to partner with Vital Link; with whom we have been volunteering with for over 10 years. And most of the non-Vital Link hosted events have sprung from previous Vital Link hosted events and key connections (or ‘vital links’). By participating in Vital Link sponsored events, we meet other student centric groups, like the College Bound Boys & Girls Club, Charter Schools like the Samueli Academy and the NOVA Academy and individual public high schools like Corna Del Mar and Santa Ana, who we met at Vital Link hosted events and they like what they see and invite us to join their smaller events at their schools and facilities.
As many of you know, this has been my joyful hobby for over 20 years, that dwindled to nothing during COVID and now since my retirement from a 40-year industry career in 2021, we have this amazing resurgence where many great Education & Outreach events and programs are happening. And I believe this is just the beginning of many great things to come for both the OSSC and the communities we serve, including our Education & Outreach partners and especially the students at many levels.
Steven Dang, our current OSSC Treasurer, has also been an exceptional OSSC Outreach volunteer at many of our events and will be reaching out to many local colleges and universities to connect with their optics, photonics, physics and astronomy departments & clubs to invite them to attend OSSC meetings and events. While the OSSC has historically done some of this, especially OSSC Past President & Fellow Dr. Alex Small from Cal Poly Pomona, who was Steven’s mentor and professor; we are always seeking more ways to systematically connect with schools, students, faculty and staff. Steven has volunteered to reach out to many more academic institutions across the Southland. If you are an alum from one of these fine schools, please connect with Steven to offer your assistance by connecting the OSSC with your former institution and the appropriate people, departments and clubs.
And as we are discussing opportunities for students interacting with the OSSC, our friends at Vital Link are guiding OSSC Corporate Members in the use of Registered Apprenticeships. The State of California (and many other states) are supporting companies as they seek to find educated employees and you can find the path to learning more about these programs starting on the OSSC Outreach webpage.
One final thought to share is that doing Education & Outreach requires funding. One way you can consider participating in our programs includes making donations. Please consider Supporting the OSSC in these efforts by making donations to the OSSC Outreach Fund.
Donn Silberman
OSSC Education & Outreach Chair 2024-2025
| Outreach Opportunities
The OSSC seeks volunteers for upcoming events being organized by our friends at Vital Link and The Girl Scouts of Orange County. Please contact the Outreach Chair if you are interested.
| | | | Optica Silicon Valley Hosts Fusion Energy Event on November 15
Fusion energy, once seen as a distant goal, is now gaining traction with recent breakthroughs and increased private investment. This event will explore the critical role optics and photonics play in this transformative technology.
| | | James Burge presentation on characterizing aspherical optical surfaces was well received at the October 9, 2024, OSSC meeting. He also shared is personal journey, which included testing the surface figure of some of the largest telescope mirrors in the world at the University of Arizona, to starting his own company, Arizona Optical Metrology, which provides computer generated holograms and optical metrology solutions to clients around the world. Read More
| | | | Rowe Technical Design Will Keep An Eye Out For You
Welcome OSSC's newest Corporate Member Rowe Technical Design. T Scott Rowe is an model eye consultant specializing in ophthalmic model eyes and tissue phantoms, serving clients worldwide.
Read More | | |
Zöllner Illusion
Are the long diagonal lines parallel?
| | The Zöllner illusion is an optical illusion named after its discoverer, German astrophysicist Johann Karl Friedrich Zöllner, who sent his discovery in an 1860 letter to physicist and scholar Johann Christian Poggendorff. This depiction of the illusion consists of a series of parallel diagonal lines which are crossed with short, repeating lines. The direction of the crossing lines alternate in direction creating the illusion that the black lines are not parallel. The shorter lines are at an angle creating the impression that one end of the longer lines is nearer to the viewer than the other.
References:
| | Elected Officers
President: Nicholas Croglio
Vice President: Lisa Belodoff
Secretary: Donn Silberman
Treasurer: Steven Dang
Past President: Kevin Romero
Councilors:
Martin Hagenbuechle
Mark Helmlinger
Jack Latchinian | | |
Appointed Voting Board Members
Arrangements: Cecily Brown
Memberships: Russell Rauch
Programs: Kenn Bates
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Other OSSC Leaders
Communications: Cecily Brown
Corporate Memberships: Mark Gallagher
Fellows Chair: Harvey Spencer
Historian: T. Scott Rowe
Jobs Board Coordinator: Nicholas J Croglio Jr
Mt. Wilson Coordinator: T. Scott Rowe
Newsletter Editor: Robert Cartland
Outreach Chair: Donn Silberman
Student Memberships: Steven Dang
Webmaster: Robert Cartland
Arrangements Assistant: McGwire Herbert
Outreach Assistant: Steven Dang
| | Open Positions
Secretary's Assistant
Treasurer's Assistant
Video Coordinator
Zoom Coordinator
We would would love your help!
Please email OSSC President Nicholas Croglio to discuss how we can best put your talent, interests, and skills to use. | | | If you qualify as a Student Member, please contact Memberships to have your membership changed to Student Member. Please do so before registering for the next meeting, in order to receive the dinner discount.
Student Members are Individual Members who are currently enrolled in school at least part-time and are not working full-time.
| | | Iman Aminzahed
David Braden
James Burge
Jim Dalool
Evan Eshelman
Lizbeth Holguin
Steve Hoskins
Terrell E Koken
Kevin Liddane
Caleb Papp
Phillip C Reid
Juan R Rizo
Amie Rott
Scott Rowe
Yu Yan
We value your membership and appreciate your support! | |