Strategic Advisory Board

The Strategic Advisory Board supports the Photonics Explorer program in its long-term strategy to achieve a pan-European impact. The board members come from 8 different countries and are all very enthusiastic about bringing science closer to the public, in particular to school kids. They have been involved in outreach activities for many years, often working closely with the major photonics associations. They therefore provide important links to related outreach projects and contribute to the Photonics Explorer program with their local network to schools and science teachers.

(in alphabetical order)

Prof. Christopher Dainty

Christopher Dainty is Professor of Applied Physics at The National University of Ireland, Galway. He is a former President of The International Commission of Optics and of the European Optical Society: he is currently Vice President of the Optical Society of America and will be President in 2011. His group in Galway has developed photonics outreach activities for local primary and secondary schools under the general theme of "Our Eyes", and also has developed photonics outreach material supplementing the National Science Curriculum in Ireland. Prof. Dainty states:

"The subject of photonics is an ideal route to motivating young people in science: it lends itself to safe, hands-on activities and experiments in which students can learn for themselves."

Dr. Eckhard Heybrock

Eckhard Heybrock is responsible for innovation, education and technology transfer in photonics at the VDI Technologiezentrum in Duesseldorf, the funding agency of the german federal ministry of science and education. He initiated and developed the German photonics educational initiative "Fascination of Light", including a traveling exhibition for secondary schools which was seen by more than 500.000 visitors. With the support by the EU the "Fascination of Light"-exhibition has also traveled through Europe's metropolises. Furthermore, Heybrock extended the initiative in Germany with "Luka's land of discovery", a traveling light-workshop for children at nursery and primary schools and a series of booklets containing hands-on optical experiments for children at primary schools. Dr. Heybrock states:

“Every on a long term successful research program begins with our children, all over Europe”

Prof. Roberta Ramponi

Roberta Ramponi is a full professor at the Faculty of System Engineering of the Politecnico di Milano, and chair of the bachelor and master-of-science degrees in Physics Engineering, which include a specific curriculum in Nano-optics and Photonics. She has been the President of EOS, now being the Past-President. As the representative of EOS, she is vice-president of the International Commission of Optics (ICO), and member of the ICO education committee. She is a member of the Board of Stakeholders of the Technology Platform Photonics21, and has been engaged in WorkGroup 7 since its beginning. She has contributed to prepare the material for PoliLabKids, a program of Politecnico di Milano to bring children closer to science and technology. Prof. Ramponi states:

“Light is the most exciting phenomenon we are dealing with in everyday life. Incredible to say, most people are not aware of it. Let’s make light “visible” to children with all its fascination. Let’s make children play with light so that they can work with light in the future”

Prof. Laurent Sarger

Laurent Sarger is a full professor at the Université Bordeaux at the faculty of Physics and head of the platform for education and training in photonics at the Aquitaine Cluster Route des Lasers. He created both a new master and bachelor degree in photonics in France. He initiated and realized an exhibition on laser technologies for the science museum in Bordeaux that has been visited by more than 6000 people, in particular school classes. He is developing outreach material targeting post-secondary educational level that is used by several universities in France. Prof. Sarger states:

“Photonics is not only a beautiful science but offers a wealth of career paths all students should be aware of.”

Prof. Ian Shanks

Ian Shanks is retired and was formerly Vice President Physical and Engineering Sciences at Unilever. He is Visiting Professor in Electronic Engineering at the University of Glasgow and is the Founder of the Optoelectronics College, which trains and equips UK science teachers to introduce exciting, topical and curriculum relevant optoelectronics experiments into their classrooms. He has research achievements in LCDs and biosensors and has been elected FRS (1984), FREng (1992), FRSA (1993) and FRSE (2000). He serves as a member of the Optoelectronics Committee of The Rank Prize Funds and Chairs the Science Advisory Group for the UK National Physical Laboratory. Prof. Shanks states:

“Photonics covertly plays a major role in all our lives, especially youngsters. To appreciate its beauty and its relevance to them and to experience these safely in the classroom, with their own hands and minds, can satisfy their natural curiosity about how things work and how they can improve the future.”

Mr. Ian Tooley

Ian Tooley is the Operations Manager for the Photonics and Plastic Electronics Knowledge Transfer Network, a programme sponsored by the Technology Strategy Board in the UK. Ian has been a supporter of Photonics21 working diligently on revising the Strategic Research Agenda document currently being submitted to the European Commission. Ian is also working to co-ordinate the efforts of the Photonics Academy, the Optoelectronics College and SPIE in the UK to bring an integrated approach to UK photonics educational activities. Through his links within Europe he has recognized the potential for skills shortages within Europe and is keen to mitigate against this by promoting science and technology within schools by the introduction of interactive photonics kits. Mr. Tooley states:

“I strongly believe that the best way to encourage and engage with the engineers of the future is through the fun media of interactive kits in order to make photonics a fun and interesting subject”.

Prof. Lluís Torner

Lluís Torner is Founding Director of The Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO, Barcelona) and full professor at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (Barcelona). He is member of the Scientific and Technological Advisory Council, at the National Foundation for Research and Technology (FECyT), Government of Spain. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the European Physical Society(QEO Division) and an OSA Fellow. Prof. Torner states:

“Children are fascinated by everyday light and colors. They get equally excited when they learn about the extraordinary things that light can do”.

Assoc. Prof. Tsviatko K. Popov

Tsviatko K. Popov is associate professor at Faculty of physics, St. Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia and Head of the Department of Physics Teaching. His main areas of interest are methods and techniques of classroom experiment and also optical and Langmuir probe plasma diagnostics. He is Editor-in-Chief of Bulgarian journal on Physics education “FIZIKA” and vice chairmen of Bulgarian committee of Science on Stage. Prof. Popov states:

“The new educational technologies will increase the motivation of the children in study of Physics.”

Prof. Waclaw Urbanczyk

Waclaw Urbanczyk is a full professor at the Institute of Physics at the Wroclaw University of Technology, where he is head of the Fibre Optics Group. He is a SPIE Fellow and member of the Executive Board of the Poland Chapter of SPIE, which recently has been transferred into the Photonic Society of Poland. For his services to science education in Poland, he has been awarded with the state distinction of Silver Cross of Merit and two times with the Prize of the Polish Ministry of Science and Education. He and his group have hosted the "Fascination of Light" exhibition in Poland and engaged in various outreach programs including the distribution of the NEMO edukit. Prof. Urbanczyk states:

”To bring forward development of high technologies in Europe, we must attract a greater number of children to science. Photonics is an ideal field to begin with”.

Prof. María J. Yzuel

María J. Yzuel is a full professor of the Department of Physics, at the University Autònoma of Barcelona (UAB), Spain. She is a member of the Royal Academy of Sciences and Arts of Barcelona, Spain. and a Fellow member of SPIE, OSA, EOS, and IOP (UK). She is “Socio de Honor” of the Spanish Optical Society. She is Vice President of the Spanish Physical Society. Prof. Yzuel is SPIE 2009 President and she will be SPIE 2010 Inmediate Past President. She was a SPIE Director from 2001 to 2003. In the development of her leadership in SPIE she has encouraged the SPIE education outreach programs as well as the scholarship program. As a member of the SPIE Education Committee she has tried to find several ways to attract more students for science and engineering. She is the SPIE representative in TSOSA committee in Trieste which takes care of the Winter College on Optics at the ICTP in Trieste, with a high percentage of students from developing countries. She has also given talks for students at secondary schools. She worked on the SPIE Women in Optics Monthly Planner during the last three years. Prof. Yzuel states:

“Those of us already working as optics and photonics professionals need to do what we can to encourage and mentor students and other young researchers so that their energy and ideas can be applied to solving the world’s problems”.

Fast Answers

What is it all about?

The Photonics Explorer program will equip Europe’s secondary schools with up-to-date educational material on topics related to light and its technical use. The Photonics Explorer provides teachers with a class-set of components for hands-on experiments together with an inquiry-based didactic framework. It will be distributed free-of-charge and support teachers to engage, excite and educate students about the fascination of working with light.

What is photonics?

Photonics is the art of making light work for you. Just as electronics has changed the world by turning electrons into our every-day workhorses, photonics has changed our way of living by harnessing photons, small energy-units of light. We use them to carry information around the globe (e.g. for the internet), to generate electric energy, to detect diseases and heal, to cut and weld metal, to measure without touching or simply to read when it's dark outside. From the generation and shaping of light, to the transportation to its destination and its exactly controlled impact, photonics encompasses all aspects of handling electromagnetic radiation.

Why is it needed?

As more as teenagers like to possess and use the latest technological gadgets, as less they seem to be interested in what actually happens behind the user interface. At the same time, our society and everyone individually becomes increasingly dependent on science and technological progress. This raises the questions: Who is going to work on the scientific answers to the challenges we face as a society? How can we motivate young people to engage in the informed discussion about steering the efforts of scientists and the responsible use of technology?

The best place to raise young people’s interest in sciences is at school. Teachers play a key role in encouraging the next generation of scientists and engineers. The Photonics Explorer program therefore aims to support teachers in their efforts to make science an exciting and fun subject, while giving students a clear understanding of physical concepts and showing their relevance to the student’s every-day life.

For whom?

The work in this program is done for school kids. To make them experience the fascination of working with light first-hand, the Photonics Explorer will equip teachers for more engaging and exciting science lessons.

Who are we?

The Photonics Explorer program is teaming up teachers, scientists in pedagogy and experts in photonics to design an intra-curricula educational kit for secondary schools. More than 30 educators from 10 countries volunteer their time and expertise to ensure a high educational value and an easy integration of the material into the regular teaching.

This educational program is actively supported by sponsoring companies from several European countries.

The program is coordinated at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Belgium) and scientifically evaluated by the Leibniz Institute for Science and Mathematics Education in Kiel (Germany).

How can I get involved?

The Photonics Explorer program builds on the enthusiasm of many volunteers that donate their time and expertise to improve science education in Europe. There are several ways you too can get involved, and each support is appreciated: