SPIE: The International Society for Optical Engineering

SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering (or SPIE) is a not-for-profit society that has become the largest international force for the exchange, collection and dissemination of knowledge in optics, photonics, and imaging engineering.

Boasting over 16,000 members internationally, SPIE organizes conferences, courses and exhibitions covering all aspects and applications of optical engineering. SPIE also publishes the Journal Optical Engineering, the Journal Biomedical Optics, the Journal Electronic Imaging and the Journal Microlithography, Microfabrication, and Microsystems.

SPIE has taught me a lot; I have put up some documents on my (continuing) involvement with SPIE since co-founding the local student chapter at the University of Alberta.

2006 SPIE Membership Committee, San Jose, U.S.A.

In 2006, I am serving on SPIE's Membership Committee, and am helping the committe draw into focus the various concerns and needs of undergraduate members.

Additionally, I am also helping the committee look at what a new and growing student chapter requires in its goal to advance optics and photonics to students.

University of Alberta SPIE Student Chapter

It began with the signing of our names and the approval of our constitution as we co-founded the student chapter, the first University in Canada to do so. Since then, so much has happened. Outreach to Elementary school students (with chapter-built, Mission-Impossible-like Laser Mazes and other cool stuff!), industrial and high-tech laboratory tours, volunteer events...

The reports linked above highlight these accomplishments during the 2005-2006 year. The executives and volunteers of the chapter did so much - I strongly encourage you to look through both just to see the many cool things in there!

2005 Optics and Photonics, San Diego, U.S.A.

During my tenure as the President of our SPIE Student Chapter through 2005-2006, both Jaron (Secretary of our student chapter) and I were fortunate enough to have been selected to travel to San Diego. From this, I wrote up a travel report for the trip which included what we learned and accomplished for the trip. It is now used to recruit members, and was showcased at the University of Alberta ECE site.

2005 Student Chapter Recruitment Material

For recruitment, the executives of our student chapter worked hard to put together a successful SPIE Information Night. I was in charge of posters and getting the word out, and the results were these informational posters about our student chapter.

2004 Website: University of Alberta SPIE Student Chapter

During my tenure as the Vice President of the SPIE Student Chapter at the University of Alberta (2004-2005), I designed and administrated the chapter website.

Note: The current website (link left with picture) does look different because the new executives have decided to alter the look.