Join us at El Sauza Mexican Restaurant for our March Lunch featuring Alexis Vogt and Tom Battley!
Topic: Join us to learn about the excellence of Rochester’s Optics, Photonics and Imaging industry, including information about educational opportunities ,industry news, and the area’s developing workforce.
Alexis KS Vogt, Ph.D. is Endowed Chair and Associate Professor of Optics at Monroe Community College. In addition to teaching responsibilities, Dr. Vogt was appointed to her role at MCC in September 2015 to strengthen and grow the optics and photonics program – the nation’s oldest two-year degree program for training technicians to work in the optics and photonics industry. Dr. Vogt received her B.S. as well as her Ph.D. in Optics from the University of Rochester Institute of Optics where her research focused on polarization engineering, coherence theory, and microscopy. Prior to joining MCC, Dr. Vogt was the Applications & Business Development Manager at Melles Griot and previous to that, designed contact lenses and intraocular lenses for Bausch + Lomb.
In addition to her industry experience, Dr. Vogt holds three patents and has authored numerous papers, presentations, and publications in the field, including the definitions of “light” and “polarization” for The World Book Encyclopedia. She dedicates time to youth outreach and has been involved with coordinating and presenting optics demonstrations to children and educators both within the Rochester community and internationally. Dr. Vogt is recipient of the Rochester Business Journal 2016 “Forty Under 40” award recognizing individuals under the age of 40 who have achieved professional success and have made significant contributions to the Rochester community.
Tom Battley was appointed Executive Director of the Rochester Regional Photonics Cluster in June, 2004, and Executive Director of The New York Photonics Industry Association in September that same year. Prior to that Tom was Monroe County Economic Development Director for nine years, overseeing a staff responsible for assisting businesses in achieving their objectives using a variety of financial vehicles, tax incentives, and job training programs. During his tenure Monroe County participated in $2.4 Billion in business investment in the Rochester Community, including major technology investments in Optics, Biotechnology, Telecommunications, and Precision Manufacturing.
Tom is a Certified Economic Development Finance Professional with the National Development Council.
Before being invited to join the Monroe County leadership team Tom was a co-founder, in 1986 of Teknic, Inc. Teknic creates and sells precision servo control products to the OEM capital equipment market.
He is a technology evangelist, excited to be promoting New York State’s Optics and Photonics Industries, and serving the membership of RRPC and PIANY in pursuit of their objectives: collaboration to develop a robust and qualified workforce; increasing the commercialization of new ideas; an increased number of contract opportunities for the membership, and the development of a healthy and growing New York State Photonics Industry. New York is in an international optics, photonics and imaging competition with other countries and economic development professionals need to recognize that.
Since 2004, as direct results under Tom’s leadership, Rochester’s OPI ecosystem has grown and flourished, including revitalization of the MCC Optical Systems Technology Program; the Summer Sizzler, an optics immersion program for high school students and their teachers; the establishment of dual credit optics programs with area high schools and MCC; regular international conferences; topical meetings for OPI manufacturers about best practices in everything from manufacturing and sales to ITAR compliance. Tom has initiated and grown new education opportunities for growing the workforce pipeline, and worked with regional, state and federal agencies to achieve new growth opportunities for light-based businesses in New York State.
Tom’s work with the New York Cluster for the past three years has included advocating for the National Academies study Optics & Photonics: Essential Technologies for Our Nation and the National Photonics Initiative, which grew out of the study. This work led directly to the offering of the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation in Integrated Photonics, an opportunity with the Department of Defense and the Obama Administration. In July of 2015, a team led by New York State was awarded the NNMI in Integrated Photonics, with Rochester designated as its headquarters: AIM Photonics.
Register and pay online
You can make your reservation(s) and pay with credit card for this Business Lunch by filling in the following form:
Date/Time
Date(s) - 03/20/2018
11:30 am - 1:00 pm
Location
El Sauza Mexican Restaurant
155 State Street
Rochester, New York 14614
Categories
