Growing a photonics program in good times and bad

Judith Donnelly; Randall Seebeck

doi:10.1117/12.2207338

6 October 2003 Growing a photonics program in good times and bad

Judith Donnelly, Randall Seebeck

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 9663, Eighth International Topical Meeting on Education and Training in Optics and Photonics; 96630C (2003) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2207338
Event: Eighth International Topical Meeting on Education and Training in Optics and Photonics, 2003, Tucson, Arizona, United States

Abstract

Three Rivers Community College (TRCC) is a public, associate degree-granting college located in southeastern Connecticut.. Formed in 1992 by the merger of Thames Valley State Technical College and Mohegan Community College, TRCC is a comprehensive multi-campus college with a full range of programs in technology and engineering technology. Although Connecticut is located in what has been called "Photonics Valley", stretching from Virginia to Massachusetts, eastern Connecticut has few optics related companies and is mainly known for two large Indian gaming casinos and the submarines built at General Dynamics Electric Boat Division in Groton. Yet TRCC has created a two-year associate degree program in Photonics Engineering Technology which continues to grow. This paper describes the development of a photonics technician program at a distance (in Connecticut terms) from supporting industries and explains strategies used to keep the program current with industry and student expectations.

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Judith Donnelly and Randall Seebeck "Growing a photonics program in good times and bad", Proc. SPIE 9663, Eighth International Topical Meeting on Education and Training in Optics and Photonics, 96630C (6 October 2003); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2207338

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