Optics and Photonics Society of Singapore is formed
MAY 4, 2009--The Optics and Photonics Society of Singapore (OPSS), with roots in the former Singapore Chapter of SPIE (Bellingham, WA, USA; spie.org, has been launched, organizers have announced.
OPSS aims to promote greater interaction between the optics and photonics community in Singapore, in both academia and industry, by providing a forum for discussion and growth among the various multidisciplinary groups, says OPSS chair Anand Asundi.
The new society retains strong ties to SPIE. Many of the OPSS founders were active in the former SPIE Singapore regional chapter, and several -- including Asundi, who is a Fellow of SPIE and a recent SPIE board of directors member -- are members of SPIE. In addition, OPSS members frequently serve as mentors for the SPIE Singapore Student Chapter.
In transitioning its regional chapter program over the past few years, SPIE is helping to enable the networks and activities established by the regional chapters to develop more effective, locally based organizations while maintaining close connections with SPIE.
"SPIE has been honored to enjoy the leadership and participation of members of the former Singapore regional chapter of SPIE in our activities promoting optics and photonics throughout the region and the world," says SPIE immediate past president Kevin Harding. "In my visit to Singapore in 2008, I was impressed with the wide diversity of educational activities as well as the commercial significance of the activities in Singapore to the optics community at large. We congratulate the new society and look forward to future collaborations."
OPSS plans include launch of a quarterly magazine, organizing and participating in local and regional conferences, and offering an educational outreach program for students and professionals. More information is available at opssg.org.
Elected to the executive committee along with Asundi at the OPSS annual meeting on 27 March were:
- Robert Huang, vice chair
- Qian Kemao, secretary
- Chee Oi Choo, treasurer
- Ravi Kumar K., standing committee chair for education
- Vijay Raj Singh, standing committee chair for industry
- Quan Chenggen, standing committee chair for membership and publicity
Zhao Liping and Huang Xuebo were appointed as honorary auditors.
-- Posted by Vision Systems Design, www.vision-systems.com