Uniting the Southern California Optics Community

OSSC Logo

The Optical Society of Southern California was founded in 1951 to increase and disseminate the knowledge of optics and closely allied sciences and to promote the mutual interests of investigators, organizations, teachers and students in these fields.

The Society is a local section of the Optical Society of America and meets on the second Wednesday of each month from October through June. Most of our meetings are open to the public. Those interested in promoting our goals are urged to apply for either Individual or Corporate Membership.

Optical Engineering & Optical Instrument Design Certificate Programs

New Fall Courses start Sept. 28th

Introduction to Lens Design

Optomechanical Component Design

are now available for enrollment through

UC Irvine Extension

Download, Pass Around & Post

UC Irvine Optics Flyer Fall 2010

and let us know if you would like

the "Live On-Line" format for

Distance Education Learning

The Optics Institute of Southern California is coordinating these new programs through UC Irvine Extension. The Lead Instructor is OSSC President Valentina Doushkina. The Optical Engineering and Instrument Design Certification programs are being developed by OSSC Outreach Chair Donn Silberman. Donn is also the Director of the Optics Institute of Southern California.

Light and Lasers Course

Students will establish a solid base of knowledge that is critical to advance in Optics and Photonics careers.

This educational experience includes allied lectures and hands-on lab experiments geared toward technicians.

ENROLLING NOW - Class Begins September 23th

Thursdays, 6:00 PM - 9:30 PM

Visit the CACT@ATEP website for additional information.

Images Newsletter

The OSSC newsletter, Images, is published monthly from October through June. You can read about our next meeting and other events; discover more about our individual and corporate members; and even learn a few Optricks!

Download the June Newsletter!

Welcome New OSSC Members

New Individual Members

Ying Zhao
Jared Cupp
Brent Bergner
Kennith Zia
Sung Hong
Gregory Klotz
Juan Rizo
William Birdwell

New Corporate Members

Stefan Vondran, Physik Instrumente (New Rep)
Jyot Bawa, L.A.Gauge Company

Wenjie Xie, Western Photonics Technology

OSSC Members can learn more about these folks by visiting the on-line OSSC Membership Directory

We value your membership and
appreciate your support!

Large Aperture Public Telescope Project (LAPTP)

The OISC, OSSC & the LA Astronomical Society (LAAS) have a 40 Inch telescope mirror from which we can design and build a LAPT. You can see additional photos of this mirror on our Outreach Photo Album.

We are currently recruiting volunteers to lead and work on this project. If you are interested, please contact Owen Cupp or Donn Silberman. The current engineering skills required and telescope design including optical and opto-mechanical engineering. We also will need to do some fundraising to pay for the parts and materials.

Outreach Events

UC Irvine Beall Center for Art + Technology

Experimental Media Art Festival 10.10.10.

Join us for the Experimental Media Art Festival on Sunday, October 10 from 1:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Beall Center for Art + Technology. An array of events will take place inside the Beall Center and the outdoor Arts Plaza, including digital art exhibitions, live and synthetic music, roaming avatars, laser light shows, robots, food...and more! A fun time for the entire family. Free Admission. Lasers & Optricks provided by UC Irvine OSA Student Chapter & OSSC.

Volunteer Here

Also at the UC Irvine Beall Center - Family Day - on Sat. Nov. 13, 2010 - volunteer needed from 10 am to 4 pm.

Volunteer Here

New Outreach Volunteer Leaders

Patricia Bath - OSSC Councilor -

will also serve as our new Education Chair on the Outreach Committee. In this role, Pat will coordinate with other OSSC volunteers and various educational organizations and institutions to promote optics education in K-12, community colleges and universities. She may also work with after school and summer programs. If you would like to work with Pat and coordinate with an educational program, please contact Pat or Outreach chair Donn Silberman.

Claudio Oliveira Egalon - OSSC Member -

and Adjunct Professor at Loyola Marymount University, will serve as our Grant Writer and Awards Coordinator on our Outreach Committee. One of his first projects will be working with the Discovery Science Center and UC Irvine staff in the Chemistry at the Space Time Limit Outreach project. If you are interested in this project, please contact Claudio or Donn Silberman.

Planning for 2010-2011

The OSSC Board had its Summer Planning Meeting
for the 2010-2011 Year.

Many of the volunteer positions have been appointed and there are still some needing to be filled. If you would like to spend some quality time with the OSSC, please contact any of the Board of Directors and let us know what you might like to do.

OSSC 2010 - 2011 Programs Committee Meeting

The OSSC Progams Committee will begin the process of planning this year's speakers and venues. Please contact our Programs Committee Jack Latchinian with any ideas and suggestions you may have.

PAST OSSC EVENTS

OSSC Members Presentations at SPIE Annual Meeting on Aug. 1

Go to Member News to find out more about papers being presented by OSSC members.

June OSSC Annual Meeting

Bridging the Chasm -
Applying the Structural Engineering
Arts to Optics

Al Hatheway

Alson Hatheway
Alson E. Hatheway, Inc.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Luminarias
Monterey Park

The design of optical instruments depends evermore on sound structural engineering practices to make the systems work. Mr. Hatheway will review the nature of the structural mechanics arts with particular emphasis on how its strengths can be seen as complimentary to the strengths of the optical design arts. The talk will be illustrated with examples from his personal practice.

This meeting has past.

View Presentation