Special Events

Throughout the year, OSA takes its issues directly to Capitol Hill through special events geared to raise awareness of the importance of science and engineering among legislators.

Upcoming OSA-Sponsored Events:

2008 Congressional Caucus Briefing: How Solar Energy Can Help Meet America’s Growing Energy Needs

Recent OSA-Sponsored Events:

2008 Congressional Visits Day (CVD)

CNSF Fall Hill Visits Day 2007

2007 Congressional R&D Caucus: Strengthening National Defense with Laser Technology

Capitol Hill Day 2007

Congressional Visits Day 2006

2006 Senate S&T Caucus on Advancing Energy Efficiency

CNSF Fall Hill Visits Day 2006

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How Solar Energy Can Help Meet America’s Growing Energy Needs

A Briefing in Conjunction with the U.S. House Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus

Friday, July 11, 2008
10 – 11:30 a.m.
1334 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC

The Optical Society (OSA) and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) hosted a briefing centered on how solar energy can play a far greater role in meeting energy needs in the United States and abroad.  Solar power is produced through two main technologies: photovoltaic (PV) cells, which convert sunlight directly into electricity, and concentrating solar power (CSP), a utility-scale technology that can be combined with thermal storage to provide electricity even when the sun is not shining.

The United States has the potential to greatly expand the use of this clean and abundant source of energy, while also creating jobs and strengthening energy security.  Demonstrating this potential is Germany, whose policies have allowed it to become the world leader in solar energy production in spite of relatively low solar resources (comparable to Alaska’s). 

Click the links below to view the presentations.

• Welcome and Introductions
  Carol Werner, EESI and Alex Fong, Optronic Laboratories, Inc., Moderators
• Photovoltaic Technology
  Doug Hall, Technology Director, Glass for Photovoltaic Program, Corning Inc.
• Concentrating Solar Power
  Chuck Kutscher, Principal Engineer and Manager, Thermal Systems Group, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
• Federal Spending for Solar Energy
  Fred Sissine, Specialist in Energy Policy, Congressional Research Service
• Global Solar Market Outlook
  Scott Clavenna, President & CEO, Greentech Media, Inc.
• Policy Support for Solar
  Rhone Resch, President, Solar Energy Industries Association

Audio Recording of the Briefing Presentations (mp3)
Audio Recording of the Q&A Session (mp3)

Other event materials:

• Powering the Future with Solar Energy
• Speaker Biographies

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CNSF Fall Hill Visits Day 2007

September 2007

On Sept. 17 and 18 three OSA members traveled to Washington, D.C. to voice their support of increased U.S. federal funding for the National Science Foundation (NSF).  Shawn Casey of DeVry University in North Brunswick, N.J., Danny Rogers of the University of Maryland in College Park, Md., and Brian Weinberg of Special Optics in Wharton, N.J. took part in the Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF) Fall Hill Visits Day.  OSA was one of approximately 25 CNSF member organizations that participated and Casey, Rogers and Weinberg were among 40 scientists and engineers from 11 states who visited a total of 65 congressional offices.  

The participants gathered in D.C. on Sept. 17 to meet and discuss strategies for their congressional visits the following day.  That evening, a reception for the participants was held on the Hill.  Reps. Vernon Ehlers (R-Mich.) and Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.) were in attendance and made remarks.

On Sept. 18, the participants visited the offices of their elected officials, bringing with them the message of the importance of the National Science Foundation to innovation and to U.S. competitiveness.

For more information on NSF, click the following links:

NSF FY 2008 Budget Information

NSF Award Summary by State

FY 2008 Leave-Behind Statement

To learn more about the importance of increased federal funding for science and technology and to contact your legislators directly about this issue, visit OSA’s Legislative Action Center.  We encourage OSA members visiting the Washington, D.C. area to contact the OSA government relations team to make appointments to visit your senators and Congressional representative. Contact Angela Stark, 202.416.1443 or astark@osa.org for more information.

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Strengthening National Defense with Laser Technology

A Congressional R&D Caucus Briefing

Sept. 6, 2007

On Sept. 6, OSA hosted a Congressional R&D Caucus briefing on Capitol Hill highlighting the ways laser technology is contributing to U.S. national defense.  A panel comprised of researchers working in the field of optics will discuss laser-based research being done by the federal government, universities and industry that will transform and improve military operations in the future. 

More than 80 staffers and government relations professionals attended the luncheon event to hear about the latest capabilities in laser detection and ranging, laser reconnaissance, laser communication, laser weapon systems and more.  Photos and presentations are available below.

Speakers included:

Moderator
Duncan Moore, Ph.D.
Professor of Optical and Biomedical Engineering
Institute of Optics, University of Rochester

Targeting and Reconnaissance with Lasers
Robert Pack, Ph.D.
Director
USTAR Directed Energy Sensors Technology Group
Utah State University
Presentation: Part 1 (PDF), Part 2 (PDF)

Lasers for Security
Douglas P. Crawford, Ph.D.
Director
Solid State Laser Weapon Systems Directed Energy Systems
Northrop Grumman
Presentation (PDF)

Laser Communication in Space
Don Boroson, Ph.D.
Leader, Optical Communications Group
Communications and Information Technology Division
MIT Lincoln Laboratory
Please reserve your seat by emailing
Presentation (PDF)

Dr. Robert Pack of Utah State University discusses how lasers are used in targeting and reconnaissance missions.	Northrop Grumman's Dr. Douglas Crawford presents information on high-power laser systems.
Dr. Don Boroson, MIT Lincoln Lab, shares information on the latest laser communication technologies.	More than 80 Congressional staffers and government relations professionals attended the briefing.

Click here to view the event invitation.

Click here to view the "Dear Colleague" letter from Rep. Rush Holt (NJ).

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Capitol Hill Day 2007

May 9 - 10, 2007

OSA, along with co-sponsors OIDA, APS and IEEE-LEOS, hosted a Capitol Hill Day event in conjunction with CLEO/QELS 2007 in Baltimore. Nearly 30 participants visited the offices of their senators and representatives to advocate for increased funding for scientific R&D and STEM education programs. More information and photos can be found at www.osa.org/CapHillDay.

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Congressional Visits Day 2006

March 28-29, 2006

Congressional Visits Day is an annual event sponsored by the Science-Engineering-Technology Work Group, a group with which OSA collaborates. This year more than 300 scientists spoke with their senators and representatives to stress the importance of research and science funding.

In 2006 OSA and SPIE joined forces to visit members of Congress during this event on March 28 and 29.  Peter Delfyett (FL), Alex Fong (FL), Scott McCain (NC), Robert Breault (AZ), Jim McNally (NM), John Gonglewski (NM), Steve Pompea (AZ), Wayne Knox (NY), Carolyn Russell (NY), Frank Duarte (NY), Ralph James (NY), Silvia Mioc (CO), Keri Then (CA), Barbara Darnell (MA), Philip Stahl (AL), and Paul McManamon (OH) joined with more than 300 scientists, engineers and business leaders who made visits on Capitol Hill to express to Congress the need for increased federal investment in basic research and development, reiterating that federally funded research is critical to America's future competitiveness.

Click images to enlarge

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Advancing Energy Efficiency: Solid State Lighting Innovations with Optics

A Senate S&T Caucus Briefing

Jerry Simmons of Sandia National Laboratories focused his talk on the government’s role in advancing lighting technology and its ability to increase energy efficiency.

Ghassan Jabbour of Arizona State University presented information on LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) and the importance of nanoscience R&D to further this highly efficient technology.

John Ekis of Lamina Ceramics presented the industrial perspective of solid state lighting markets, today’s uses for the technology and tomorrow’s commercial potential.

To conclude the presentation, Simmons discussed current programs by the U.S. government supporting solid state lighting research and development.

For more information on the event, contact OSA’s public policy department at 202.416.1499. View the entire event presentation See the event invitation

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CNSF Fall Hill Visits Day

September 2006

Click images to enlarge

On Sept. 12 and 13 two OSA members traveled to Washington, D.C. to voice their support of increased U.S. federal funding for the National Science Foundation.  Professor Prem Kumar of Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., and Mike Millard of ITT Industries in Rochester, N.Y., took part in the Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF) Fall Hill Visits Day.  OSA was one of 27 CNSF member organizations that participated and Kumar and Millard were among 80 scientists and engineers from 25 states who visited a total of 101 congressional offices.  

The participants gathered in D.C. on Sept. 12 to meet and discuss strategies for their congressional visits the following day.  That evening, a reception for the participants was held on the Hill.  Reps. Sherwood Boehlert (R-N.Y.), Bart Gordon (D-Tenn.), Vernon Ehlers (R-Mich.) and Rush Holt (D-N.J.) were in attendance and made remarks.

On Sept. 13, the participants visited the offices of their elected officials, bringing with them the message of the importance of the National Science Foundation to innovation and to U.S. competitiveness.

For more information on NSF, click the following links:

FY 2007 CNSF Leave Behind Statement

NSF FY 2007 Budget Comparisons

Chart on NSF Budgets FY2000-FY2007

Chart on NSF Budget and Authorization FY2000-FY2007

To learn more about the importance of increased federal funding for science and technology and to contact your legislators directly about this issue, visit OSA’s Legislative Action Center.  We encourage OSA members visiting the Washington, D.C. area to contact the OSA government relations team to make appointments to visit your senators and Congressional representative. Contact Angela Stark, 202.416.1443 or astark@osa.org for more information.