About
29 October 2009
OSA Establishes Senior Membership Distinction
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Lyndsay Meyer
The Optical Society
+1.202.416.1435
lmeyer@osa.org
OSA Establishes Senior Membership Distinction
New Category Allows Individuals to Request Member Designation Commensurate with Experience
Washington, DC, Oct. 26 – The Optical Society (OSA) announced today that it has added a Senior Member category to its membership offerings. Senior membership provides well-established individuals with the opportunity to request a designation that recognizes their experience and professional accomplishments or service within their field.
To qualify for Senior Membership, individuals must have at least 10 years of significant professional experience in the field of optics and photonics and two references from OSA members. Applicants who are not already affiliated with OSA are encouraged to establish an OSA Individual Membership. Once selected as a Senior Member, individuals automatically will maintain the status when they renew their membership each year; there is no need to reapply once selected for senior membership status as long as candidates maintain member status.
Aimee Gibbons, OSA Membership Director, noted that “senior membership is an important addition to the OSA membership portfolio because it enables us to formally recognize the professional accomplishments and experience of individuals who have contributed to their field at a senior level for ten or more years. We’re look forward to receiving requests for this new member designation and to welcoming our first round of successful candidates later this year.”
In addition to receiving OSA Individual Member benefits, senior member designees also receive:
- Special Recognitions – Senior Members are identified in the OSA Member Directory, on OSA.org and during OSA-hosted events.
- Announcements – Newly approved Senior Members are announced in: Optics & Photonics News, the OSA e-newsletter, a press release, and on technical division news sites.
- Senior Member Certificate and Lapel Pin – Distributed upon application approval.
- Letter of Commendation – Approved Senior Members may elect to have a confirmation letter sent to their employer.
Requests are reviewed twice a year (deadlines: May 1, 2010 and November 1, 2010) by the Membership and Education Services Council. Individuals must complete a request form (available online and in print) and are encouraged to provide the following information:
- Academic history
- Description of current occupation
- Two OSA member references
- An employer reference (optional)
- Professional experience/service descriptions
Individuals who meet the qualification criteria are encouraged to apply. For more information, visit www.osa.org/membership/default.aspx or contact the OSA Membership Department (Tel: +1 202.416.1431 or email: agibbo@osa.org).
About OSA
Uniting more than 106,000 professionals from 134 countries, the Optical Society OSA) brings together the global optics community through its programs and initiatives. Since 1916 OSA has worked to advance the common interests of the field, providing educational resources to the scientists, engineers and business leaders who work in the field by promoting the science of light and the advanced technologies made possible by optics and photonics. OSA publications, events, technical groups and programs foster optics knowledge and scientific collaboration among all those with an interest in optics and photonics. For more information, visit www.osa.org.
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