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Message from the Dean
Let me try to share a bit of the excitement of being here at one of the world's foremost institutions for teaching and research in optics and photonics. CREOL, The College of Optics & Photonics is an independent academic unit at the University of Central Florida and now houses three major research centers: the 'Center for Research and Education in Optics and Lasers' (CREOL), in existence since 1985, the 'Florida Photonics Center of Excellence' (FPCE), founded in 2003 by the Governor of Florida with a $10M grant, and the newly founded 'Townes Laser Institute' named after Charles Hard Townes, the inventor of the maser/laser. Interactions between research in these canters and other units on campus including our new medical school are increasing. The research performed by our students, faculty, visiting scientists, and postdoctoral students is published and presented regionally, nationally, and internationally. We also have a great support staff to help with visas, getting settled, payroll, purchasing, travel, computer support etc.
We are growing quickly, and so is the optics and photonics industry in our region. CREOL was initially founded by the State of Florida to promote growth in optics and related fields here in central Florida. Now there are more than 150 optics- and photonics-related companies in the region. And we provide the well-trained workforce that keeps the industry growing. The Florida Photonics Cluster is working to coordinate this industry’s efforts and needs, and we also receive strong support from the Florida High Tech Corridor Council and Enterprise Florida.
From the graph of our funding each year (see below), you can get a feel for our growth. We received more than $5M from industry last year, a connection which gives our students experience and a leg up on industry positions after they graduate. We hope you’ll agree that from femtoseconds to continuous wave, this is an exciting place to be.
We hope you can find everything you need on our website. We rely on our ability to attract the best and brightest to CREOL, The College of Optics & Photonics for our future success. We are always looking to improve our web presence, since my poll of our graduate students shows 99% of them find out about us online! Please contact us for more information and let us know what is missing and what we can improve.
Cheers! Eric W. Van Stryland Dean and Professor
