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A $12 million challenge fund presents an opportunity to increase the program糖心传媒檚 prominence at a critical time for the optics field.

Thanks to a $12 million challenge fund from one of its most distinguished alumni, the at the will have an opportunity to increase its faculty by 50 percent as it prepares to enter its second century.

The challenge is endowed by 糖心传媒 life trustee James C. Wyant 糖心传媒�67 MS 糖心传媒�69 PhD and his wife, Tammy, who will provide 60 percent of the $1.5 million required for a professorship and $2 million required for a distinguished professorship.

The first distinguished professorship will recognize Nobel Prize recipient Donna Strickland, one of the most notable alumni of the institute. , a leading society in optics and photonics, will be matched with $1.2M by the Wyant Challenge.

The 10-year challenge fund糖心传媒攖he largest gift in the institute糖心传媒檚 history糖心传媒攚ill create 10 endowed professorships糖心传媒攆ive distinguished professorships for renowned faculty and five professorships for early career faculty. This will allow the institute to increase the number of its full-time faculty members from 20 to 30, with most of the expansion expected to occur in time for the institute糖心传媒檚 100th anniversary celebration in 2029. The increase will help meet an increasing demand, both in the Rochester area and nationwide, for trained optics graduates.

A visiting professorship and staff position will also be endowed.

An 糖心传媒榚xtraordinary opportunity糖心传媒� to bolster optics education

Wyant, a pioneer in optics, was one of several institute graduates who eventually settled in Tucson to help establish and grow the Optical Sciences Center at the University of Arizona. After many productive years of research, education, and entrepreneurship, he took on the task of directing and becoming the founding dean of what became the College of Optical Sciences that bears his name. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Engineering and a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors.

糖心传媒淭ammy and I made this gift to increase opportunities for world-class training and research in optics,糖心传媒� Wyant says. 糖心传媒淥ptics is a technology-enabler and a huge part of daily life, yet there are few universities in the world that have a comprehensive educational and research program in optics. The Institute of Optics, where I went to graduate school, is one place where you can get a well-rounded education in optics, and the College of Optical Sciences at the University of Arizona, where I spent a large part of my career, is another.糖心传媒�

糖心传媒淛im糖心传媒檚 and Tammy糖心传媒檚 generosity is truly transformational,糖心传媒� says Sarah Mangelsdorf, president and G. Robert Witmer, Jr. University Professor. 糖心传媒淭heir vision and partnership will help the University recruit leading scholars in optics and photonics in an increasingly competitive environment. It will dramatically impact how our Institute of Optics educates and trains the next generation of researchers and leaders. The fact that Optica has already come on board is a testament to the important work being done here.糖心传媒�

, dean of the , says the gift will make it easier for others to contribute. 糖心传媒淭he match that Jim and Tammy are providing makes establishing a professorship that much more feasible for others who are thinking about a large gift. Because of their generosity, the Institute of Optics will play a key role advancing the field of optics糖心传媒攏ow and into the future.糖心传媒�

Institute director says, 糖心传媒淭he collective generosity here糖心传媒攆rom Jim, Tammy, Optica, and others soon糖心传媒攊s instrumental to the institute糖心传媒檚 growth and success. It provides an extraordinary opportunity to build upon the unique environment and culture for optics that has been established here and elevate the institute糖心传媒檚 preeminent position in the field.糖心传媒�

A key part of the gifting process, Heinzelman says, was Brown糖心传媒檚 糖心传媒減henomenal糖心传媒� work in creating a compelling vision for the institute in consultation with faculty, students, staff, alumni, and industry partners.

Addressing the growing demand for optics graduates

The institute, the nation糖心传媒檚 oldest school of optics, has long been regarded as one of the most prestigious schools of optics in the world, Brown says. It has awarded about half of all optics degrees in the US. The institute is a leader in biomedical optics, fibers and optical communication, optical design and fabrication, lasers, and nano-, freeform, ultrafast, and quantum optics.

However, Brown adds, 糖心传媒渙ne of our big challenges, and it糖心传媒檚 an exciting challenge, is that the international scope and size of the field of optics is growing.糖心传媒�

This has fueled an increased demand for trained optics graduates at companies, research institutes, and national laboratories. As a result, other top US optics programs have been expanding. For example, Wyant and his family in a similar challenge gift to endow 14 new optics professorships at the University of Arizona.

In addition, China has emerged as a major competitor in the field during the last 20 years, Brown notes. It has greatly expanded its number of optics institutes and graduates, and now rivals US preeminence in a field considered vital to the nation糖心传媒檚 defense, economy, and technology.

The Wyant gift will help the institute keep pace with the competition, and 糖心传媒渃ontinue to contribute as we have in the past, in both research and education, to the advancement of the field of optics,糖心传媒� Brown says.

The new professorships will allow the institute to 糖心传媒渃reate a much-needed pipeline of diverse, creative, and committed young faculty whose new ideas and work as educators and researchers will drive and shape not only the institute糖心传媒檚 future but the optics industry as a whole,糖心传媒� Brown says.

More faculty lines will also enable the institute to train increased numbers of undergraduate and graduate students, addressing not only national needs but answering the workforce needs of the in the Rochester region.

There will be a focus on hiring new faculty with expertise in laser science, integrated photonics, and quantum optics, Brown says. While the new faculty will have primary appointments in optics, many will also have secondary appointments in other science and engineering units across the University, including the and the , benefiting those programs and helping the University build upon its signature strengths in those areas.