Powered by three Universities, two National laboratories, one military laboratory and hundreds of technology-based companies, New Mexico has long been a leader in advanced technology research and development.
New Mexico's leading edge optics technology strengths include control systems, directed energy, telescopes, communications, imaging, medical instruments, drug discovery processes, and many other new and emerging sciences and technologies.
NMOIA introduces our NEW OPTICS E-NEWS letter--The LENS. Read the highlights, then click on the LENS tab for all the news. We feature “news you can use”, contact Sherry Robinson, with your news, lead or tip, at sherry@nmoia.org or 505-343-0852.
NMOptics Events June 12, Richard Meyer, President & CEO of CIC Photonics will talk about 10 years of doing business in China. If you have ever been curious about any type of relationship with China, then this is the time to hear the real-deal from an expert. This will be an evening dinner event and you will have lots of time for discussion and questions.
August 25-27, NMOptics will again host the Mirror Tech Days Conference. Last year this event attracted over 125 people from 40+ companies located in 19 different States. Attending and/or exhibiting at this conference is a great way to keep up with the direction of Government Optics and to meet lots of other Optics companies. Save the dates and stayed tuned for details.
NMOIA Receives SPIE Grant
NMOIA received a $2,600 SPIE education and outreach grant. NMOIA will use the award in continuing student outreach and for additional educational optics kits. David Wick writes that NMOIA’s grant was well received.
Also, NMOIA has signed a memorandum of understanding among NMOIA, SPIE (the International Society for Optics and Photonics) and the state Economic Development Department to promote optics and photonics industries educational initiatives in New Mexico.
NMOIA News: NMOIA is changing its handle. We will retain New Mexico Optics Association as the corporate name, but the group will after this be known as NM Optics. And you will notice a new look to the newsletter. The Lens has shifted from ConstantContact to a design by Sheldon Liebman, of L&S Marketing, who will also handle mailing. If you haven’t received previous newsletters, contact Lens editor Sherry Robinson at robinson@nmoia.org to receive back issues.
SPIE Seeks Membership in ABET
NMOIA joined a number of universities and industry associations in endorsing SPIE’s membership in ABET (the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology), which accredits some 2,700 programs at more than 550 colleges and universities nationwide.
"NMOIA believes that the time has come for optics and photonics to take their places as academic disciplines in their own right alongside other ABET accredited programs," wrote NMOIA Chairman Jim McNally.
"We are concerned about the relatively small number of young people going into the field. It has become increasingly difficult for companies in our area to find qualified candidates to fill positions. It is our belief that SPIE’s membership in ABET and the establishment of specific program criteria for optical engineering and photonics technologies will highlight the discipline. As its own program, optical engineering will be more visible to students and the number of graduates with the necessary education will increase."SPIE News: SPIE encourages NMOIA members to inform New Mexico students and teachers about the National Society of High School Scholars STEM scholarship program, which provides $1,000 STEM scholarships for African American, Hispanic, Native American and female seniors with a 3.0 GPA. The application deadline is May 15. See
Does your insurance really protect your business? Member Brian Menicucci addressed this subject during the April 7 NMOIA Executive Roundtable, which he hosted.
Basic business insurance can leave you unprotected, Brian explained, because it typically covers only general liability, auto, property and workers compensation. It often doesn’t cover employment practices liability, which protects you from wrongful termination, discrimination and, if properly endorsed, third party lawsuits. Employment practices liability insurance coverage isn’t as expensive as you might expect and can save enormous legal fees and cover possible damage awards.
Brian noted that key man insurance, which protects a business on the death of a key employee, is also overlooked.
You can also insure your patents, which covers the cost of protecting your patents from infringement by others and for defending you against infringement claims by others.
"Patent litigation can take years and often cost millions of dollars," said Mike Morgan, a patent attorney with the Rodey Law Firm and NMOIA board member. Insurance that covers attorney fees can really protect you because it gives a small company deep pockets to defend itself.
Business coverage isn’t as common as homeowners’ insurance and varies by company, product and level of risk. In the last few years insurance costs have increased dramatically, but more recently costs are coming down, so you may be over-paying for your current coverage. If it’s time for a business insurance tune-up, call Brian at 883-3683 or bmenicucci@mianm.com.
Member News
Ray Wick, of Wick Research Associates in Albuquerque, was selected as a Fellow of the SPIE for achievements in lasers and optical sensors. Ray is one of the founding directors of NMOIA. He was among 72 new Fellows recently elected by the society. Fellows are members of distinction who have made significant scientific and technical contributions in optics, photonics, and imaging and for their service to the optics community and SPIE.
Frederick Portigal and Mike Hollis, who founded UltraSpectral Inc., have formed a new company, Geospace Inc. Mike will operate Geospace, with Fred as a major shareholder. Fred will continue with the UltraSpectral name and Web site. Ultraspectral will continue to provide advanced software for object-oriented analysis of hyperspectral data. Fred can be reached at 505-918-5917 or frederick.portigal@ultraspectral.com.
Mike Tocci, chief technical officer of Contrast Optical Design & Engineering, recently filed the company’s second patent, "Method and Apparatus for Producing Multiple High-Resolution Images Using a Single Imaging Lens System." Contrast’s new 1,200-square-foot facility, The Contrast Atelier, is being furnished with optical benches, alignment scopes, electronic benches and more. The workshop will be used to design, develop and build the prototype of its HDRI Camera system for cinematography and military tactical applications. See http://www.contrastoptical.com/news.html.
Sandia Science and Technology Park celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. The park has 27 tenants in nearly a million square feet of office, lab and manufacturing space on 70 acres. Jackie Kerby Moore is executive director. See http://sstp.org/.
Lumidigm announced a certified business partnership with BioGuard Components & Technologies Ltd., a biometrics firm based in Israel. "The Lumidigm sensors will allow BioGuard to install biometric identity management systems where traditional biometrics have failed," said BioGuard President Ephram Yeashoua. "Working with Lumidigm, BioGuard will be able to deploy the most robust biometric applications in the world."
"BioGuard has the regional market experience Lumidigm needs as well as a thorough understanding of what makes a biometric solution work in real world deployments," said Matthew Ennis, Lumidigm’s vice president of business development.
Optics Events Organizers of the 8th annual Mirror Technology Days, August 25-29, have issued a call for papers. You’re invited to present a summary of your government-sponsored mirror technology development.
The event returns for the third year to Albuquerque and will have open sessions for presentations of basic mirror technology development research that have no export-controlled information. Closed sessions, restricted to U.S. citizens and green-card holders, are intended for presentations which are export-controlled or ITAR-controlled.
New this year is a closed session on JWST, which will allow for a more detailed set of presentations than the JWST Team typically presents at an open conference.Deadline for submission of information is June 1. Send the following information to Phil Stahl at h.philip.stahl@nasa.gov: Presentation title, presenter name, company contact info, sponsoring agency. Designate open or closed session.
The Directed Energy Professional Society (DEPS) has called for papers for its seventh annual Directed Energy Test and Evaluation Conference, to be held in Albuquerque July 29-31 at the Hyatt Regency. Submit abstracts by April 25 to
graphic@deps.org or mail a disc with hard copy to DEPS, Attention DE T&E Conference, 2600 Yale Blvd. SE, Suite 139, Albuquerque, 87106.
Hamamatsu Corp., which develops and manufactures photo detectors, light sources, and optical components, is offering two free technology seminars. Ron Mancini, author of OP Amps for Everyone will teach "How to Design Low Noise Analog Circuits for Photo Detectors." The seminars will be held April 30 in Boulder, Colo., and May 2 in Tucson. For information contact JoAnn Wiley at 303-554-9122 or see http://sales.hamamatsu.com/en/events.php.
New Mexico Optics News
Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman honored Sandia’s MESA project team with the Secretary’s Achievement Honor Award, the DOE’s highest recognition, for building MESA’s microelectronics facilities and the Weapons Integration Facility three years ahead of schedule and $40 million under budget.
Emcore purchased the enterprise and storage assets of Intel’s Optical Platforms Business, which includes 10 Gb/s broadband circuits and storage area network (SAN) transceivers as well as its Connects Cables business. Intel will receive Emcore stock, giving it a 5 percent equity stake. Late last year, Emcore bought Intel’s line of tunable lasers, tunable transponders, 300-pin transponders and integrate-able tunable laser assemblies. Both companies have Albuquerque operations.
LANL’s science tools provided early information on a monster gamma ray burst so powerful that it could be seen with the naked eye. NASA's Swift satellite on March 19 was the first instrument to detect the sudden rise in gamma rays, thanks to LANL software on the satellite’s Burst Alert Telescope. Within seconds the software determined the gamma rays’ origin, directed telescopes on the ground, and commanded the satellite to swing around for a closer look.
The ground-based LANL RAPTOR robotic telescope system, located in the Jemez Mountains, made observations that included measurements of the gamma-ray burst location before and during the burst as well as multicolor observations of the late phases of the flash and early afterglow. The observations provide an unmatched observational record.
The DOE has awarded a $1.1 million contract to Kirtland Air Force Base to conduct research into fusion power using laser heating, which is part of KAFB’s high-energy laser program.
