Industry News

SPIE Senior Member Jessica DeGroote Nelson works as the director of technology and strategy at Optimax Systems in Ontario, New York. She also teaches as an adjunct assistant professor at The Institute of Optics at the University of Rochester (UR), and is a Conference Chair for SPIE Optifab 2019. 

Nelson also teaches Optical Materials, Fabrication, and Testing for the Optical Engineer at SPIE conferences. This course is geared toward optical engineers who are hoping to learn the basics about how optics are made, and ways in which to help reduce the cost of the optics they are designing. It is also offered online.

"Optical tolerancing and the cost to fabricate an optic can be a point of tension or confusion between optical designers and optical fabricators," Nelson says. "I teach this course to help give optical designers who are new to the field a few tools in their toolbelt as they navigate tolerancing and purchasing some of their first designs. One of the things I love most about teaching are the conversations I have with the students. I love learning about their different experiences; I learn something new every time I teach the course!"

While teaching and her work are two of her primary passions, Nelson adds, "My life would not be complete without my family: I am a wife to a wonderful husband, Phil, and mom to my two-year old daughter, Amelia!"

Enjoy the photo gallery below and read the full SPIE Faces of Photonics interview with Jessica on SPIE News.