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TREASURE COAST BUSINESS DIRECTORY
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44
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION GRANT TO FUND LASER-TEC EXPANSION
TCBusiness.com
BY SUZANNE SELDES
The Center for Laser and Fiber Optic
Education, LASER-TEC, headquartered at
Indian River State College, has received a
$1.6 million National Science Foundation
grant to support its transition into an Advanced
Technological Education Resource
Center. The expanded center will be better
positioned to increase the laser, optics, photonic
and fiber optics technical workforce
to meet Department of Labor projections.
The resource center will update and
maintain educational services and materials
and provide open access to these
resources for secondary, post-secondary
and industry educational and training
programs. The project’s scope includes:
• Developing a comprehensive, highperforming,
and responsive website to
house and distribute all LOPFO educational
products;
• Enhancing all curricular materials with
updated technical content and high-impact
pedagogical strategies;
• Creating tailored content and professional
development events for teachers,
college instructors, counselors, advisors,
administrators, incumbent industry members,
and other communities;
• Informing K-12 and college educators
about the availability of these resources; and
• Connecting industries that need
LOPFO technicians and colleges that offer
LOPFO programs.
“Lasers, optics, photonics, and fiber optics
are used in many advanced technologies
including medical instrumentation,
photonics-integrated circuits, telecommunications,
advanced manufacturing and
biotechnology,” says Chrys Panayiotou, LASER
TEC’s executive director and principal
Investigator. “This project intends to sustain
and expand efforts to meet the national
shortage of qualified LOPFO technicians.”
The Department of Labor projects that
between 2016 and 2026 at least 1,700
LOPFO technicians will be needed to fill
open positions. These jobs have a median
annual salary of more than $63,000.
The grant will facilitate the development
of new modules in the areas of Raman
spectroscopy, LiDAR, high power diode
lasers, femtosecond lasers, disk lasers and
other LOPFO technologies, in cooperation
with industry partners. LASER-TEC will also
continue its efforts in supporting historically
underserved and underrepresented
groups to increase diversity in this technological
field. v
ABOUT LASER-TEC
The Center for Laser and Fiber Optics
Education, LASER-TEC, founded by the
National Science Foundation in 2013, is
an association of community and state
colleges, universities, high schools and
technical centers, trade associations and
laser and fiber optic companies.
IRSC
An IRSC student measures the power of a green
polarized light during class.
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BANKING/FINANCES
CenterState Bank....................................................BC
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BUSINESS COACHING
weVENTURE.............................................................IBC
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BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Economic Development Council of St. Lucie
County ................................................................ 12, 13
772.336.6250.......................................youredc.com
Small Business Development Center at IRSC... 37- 40
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CONSTRUCTION
Richard K. Davis Construction Corp....................7
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GOLF CARTS
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INDEPENDENT/ASSISTED LIVING
Harbor Place at Port St. Lucie................................1
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INTERIOR DESIGN/FURNISHINGS
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RADIO
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YOGA
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/TCBusiness.com
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/877.7NISAIR...............................................nisair.com
/dragonflycentral.com
/2222
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/772.221.4620....europeancarperformance.com
/772.462.8820.......................centerstatebank.com
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/rkdavis.com
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/rapidps.com
/888.286.8936...............................................wqcs.org
/772.418.4420.......oceansiderealtypartners.com
/772.925.9697....................indianriverbikram.com
