KEYNOTE: How Current Trends in Optics Are Lighting the Path to Turn Science Fiction into Science Fact

Visionary science fiction books and movies have been accurately predicting future innovations for years! DeGroote Nelson explores science fiction prophecies that have become reality thanks to optics applications that are trending today. While introducing new innovations in optics and photonics, she will explore current fantasy worlds such as those portrayed in "Iron Man," "Star Wars," and "Harry Potter," and she'll predict where the stories are on target about the technologies of tomorrow.

About the presenter
Jessica DeGroote Nelson, Ph.D., is Director of Technology and Strategy at Optimax Systems. She is also an adjunct professor at University of Rochester's Institute of Optics. She started her career at Optimax after graduating from the University of Rochester. During the past ten years at Optimax, she has won several Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) awards, funded by NASA and the Department of Defense (DoD), leading a team of researchers on these initiatives.

She is a member and presenter with the Optical Society of America (OSA) SPIE, American Ceramic Society (ACerS) and the American Society of Precision Engineers (ASPE), and Optics and Electro Optics Standard Council (OEOSC), and is active in the local section of the Optical Society of America (OSA) – Rochester Section where she served as president and currently leads outreach activities.