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Board-of-Laser-Safety-Credits-for-Certification-Maintenance-Points

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Board of Laser Safety Credits for Certification Maintenance Points
by Fred Seeber

OP-TEC (The National Center for Optics and Photonics Education) is funded by the National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education (ATE Center) with the mission of promoting photonics education by assisting colleges around the country in developing and implementing educational programs that support the expansion of this critical technology.  By providing information materials and networking opportunities, colleges and universities can take steps in implementing photonics programs that give their students the opportunity to work in this rapidly expanding, high-demand, high-paying field.  


The Center has four goals:

  1. Serve as the national clearinghouse for optics and photonics education and training.
  2. Create, assemble, align and distribute coordinated curriculum materials designed to support optics, laser and photonics education in high schools, two-year colleges and retraining of adult workers.
  3. Support established and new photonics education programs in high schools, community and technical colleges, universities and professional societies.
  4. Provide education and training for administrators, counselors, high school teachers and community college faculty members to prepare them to:
  1. design new photonics technology programs that meet their local needs;
  2. infuse photonics into programs in photonics-enabled technologies; and
  3. teach optics, photonics and lasers using curriculum materials distributed by OP-TEC.


Dr. Fred P. Seeber Co-Principal Investigator for OP-TEC states that OP-TEC also offers two hybrid on-line courses entitled, Fundamentals of Light and Lasers (Course I) and Elements of Photonics (Course II).  These are courses can be arranged to suit the student’s schedule.  The courses are offered for laser professionals including employed laser technicians.  The subjects in module form cover areas of photonics from lasers and other light sources, laser safety, optics, fiber-optic communication and optical detectors and other areas.  These courses have been approved by the Board of Laser Safety for certification maintenance (CM) points under the category of continuing education.  The BLS and OP-TEC have teamed together to pursue similar goals in moving the photonics industry and photonics education forward.  More information about these courses is available by e-mailing Dr. Seeber at (fredpseeber@comcast.net).   


Dr. Seeber is a fellow of the Laser Institute of America and Chairman of the ANSI Z136 subcommittee that develops the Z136.5 American National Standard for Safe Use of Lasers in Educational Institutions.