Get your resume ready for the Spring Optics and Photonics Career Fair, hosted by CREOL. Open to students studying optics and photonics, engineering and physics.Registration will open in September.

Title: Meta-Optics for Edge ComputingAbstract: With the proliferation of networked sensors and artificial intelligence, there is an increasing need for edge computing where data is processed at the sensor level to reduce bandwidth and latency while still preserving energy efficiency. In this talk, I will discuss how meta-optics can be used to implement computation for optical edge sensors, serving to off-load computationally expensive convolutional operations from the digital platform, reducing both latency and power consumption. Meta-optics can also take advantage of additional information channels, such as polarization, spectral composition, and angle of incidence, to process information not recorded on conventional cameras. I will discuss how this increased freedom in design allows meta-optics to augment, or replace, conventional imaging optics in achieving parallel optical processing across multiple independent channels. The meta-optic frontend is demonstrated to enable segmenting and classifying objects with minimal computational resources as well as allow for spectral discrimination in classifying objects based on their emission characteristics. About the Speaker: Professor Valentine received a B.S. in mechanical engineering from Purdue University in 2004 and a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from UC Berkeley in 2010. At Vanderbilt he is currently a Professor of Mechanical Engineering and the Deputy Director of the Vanderbilt Institute of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (VINSE). Prof. Valentine researches the optical properties of nanostructured metamaterials for imaging and image processing, photodetection, and dynamically reconfigurable optics for wavefront control. He has received an NSF CAREER Award, the Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award, and a Chancellor's Award for Research.Virtual Location URL: https://ucf.zoom.us/j/93234347765?from=addon

This monthly food distribution event is a volunteering opportunity that occurs on the third Thursday of every month at the 910 Livingston Street Church of God about a block and half from UCF Downtown and Valencia College Downtown.The entire volunteer opportunity is from 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. There are two volunteer shifts: 8:30-11 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.-1p.m. Volunteers may sign up for one or both shifts (link below).Volunteers will be expected to assist with setup and teardown, breakdown and repackage food for distribution, and assist with loading patron's vehicles.*If all 20 spots are filled, you are still able to come volunteer. Registration Link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0C4CA8A923ABF49-52648443-910food/61146899#/

Title: Optics a la mode - a new way of making, using and understanding optics Abstract: Modern micro and nano fabrication now let us make complex and highly functional optics. Examples include sophisticated metasurfaces and highly programmable and even self-configuring silicon photonic interferometer meshes, with many potential applications in areas such as imaging, sensing and communications. Such systems are, however, quite unlike the previous optics of lenses, mirrors and prisms, so we also need new ways to think about them, physically and mathematically. Fortunately, there is a very powerful new "modal" approach for these and other complex wave systems, one that is both mathematically straightforward and physically directly meaningful. It leads to new fundamental physical laws and limits, gives new understanding of old optics, such as why your mobile phone camera needs thickness and where diffraction limits really come from, correctly counts channels for communication and sensing, and opens new design approaches and classes of optical systems and applications. Programmable circuits based on such ideas can also exploit convenient new architectures, topologies and algorithms that allow simple control and even direct optical solution of difficult problems in real time. The talk will introduce these ideas, showing how these lead to new systems, applications, understanding, and limits in optics and waves generally. About the Speaker: David Miller is the W. M. Keck Professor of Electrical Engineering Emeritus at Stanford University. He received his Ph. D in Physics from Heriot-Watt University in 1979, and before Stanford was with Bell Laboratories from 1981 to 1996, as a department head from 1987. His interests include nanophotonics, quantum-well optoelectronics, and optics in information sensing, interconnects, and processing. He has published more than 300 scientific papers, a quantum mechanics text, and over 75 patents, and has a Google h-index > 110. He was President of IEEE LEOS (now Photonics Society) in 1995. He has also taught open online quantum mechanics classes to over 80,000 students. He has received several awards, is a Fellow of AAAS, APS, OSA, IEEE, the Electromagnetics Academy, the Royal Societies of London and Edinburgh, holds two Honorary Doctorates, and is a Member of the US National Academies of Sciences and of Engineering.Virtual Location URL: https://ucf.zoom.us/j/94659261515?from=addon

This is a 2.5 to 3 hour virtual training session designed to help two groups of business: (1) those just exploring or brand new to government contracting and (2) those down the path a bit looking to backfill some gaps. You can join late or leave early and still learn something about government contracting, but those that stick around for the whole program will receive a practical, frank, overview of the government contracting process.This webinar covers the following areas:* Introduction to the Government Contracting Process * Components of a "GIB Ready" Business * Suggestions for an Initial Marketing Tool Kit * Reactive Business Development Strategies * Proactive Business Development Strategies * Introduction to the SBA's Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS) database * Potential Next StepsIn addition to the instruction, attendees will have the opportunity to receive handouts that are practical tools in helping develop your government contracting programs. The handouts will also include the slide deck of the presentation which will include a number of live links to research resources, registration sites, and certification programs.This class will be delivered by one of the Florida APEX Accelerator Consultants at UCF. The Florida APEX Accelerator provides no cost government contracting consulting to small businesses.This event is sponsored by the Florida SBDC at UCF.Virtual Location URL: https://events.blackthorn.io/en/6g3Q8Wa7/g/x4W8BcsAj4/government-contracting-overview-5a1eVO8U07d Registration Link: https://sbdcorlando.com/upcoming-seminars/