Skip To Content

Chapter Community Engagement Prize

The Optica Foundation is pleased to sponser the Chapter Community Engagement prize.  Designed to highlight the amazing work our chapters do in their communities, the prize was formerly know as the Student Chapter Excellence Prize. From educational outreach, to volunteer work, to diversity and inclusion programs, our chapters are deeply involved in their communities.  Optica celebrates our chapters' efforts to share their time, energy, and passion for Optics and Photonics with their broader networks. 

Relaunching in 2023, theCommunity Engagement Prize has three annual winner. Winning chapters each receive a $3,000 grant, and a gauranteed spot at the Student Leadership Conference held at FiO. 

Past Excellence Prize Winners:

Prizes prior to 2016 were given based on chapter/section size-based categories.

2016

Community/Youth Education Outreach Category

  • New England OSA Local Section (NESOSA) - Community/Youth Education Outreach Local Section Winner
  • Laval University OSA Student Chapter, Canada – Community/Youth Education Outreach Student Chapter Winner
  • Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) OSA Student Chapter, South Africa - Community/Youth Education Outreach Student Chapter Finalist
  • Stanford Optical Society, USA – Community/Youth Education Outreach Student Chapter Finalist

Professional Development Category

  • Optical Society of Southern California (OSSC), USA – Professional Development Local Section Winner
  • Ecole polytechnique federal de Lausanne OSA Student Chapter, Switzerland – Professional Development Student Chapter Winner
  • UNICAMP OSA Student Chapter, Brazil - Professional Development Student Chapter Finalist
  • Xi’an Institute of Optics & Precision Mechanics OSA Student Chapter, China – Professional Development Student Chapter Finalist
2015
  • ITMO University OSA Student Chapter, Russia - Large Chapter Winner
  • Universidad Nacional de Tucumán OSA Student Chapter, Argentina - Small Chapter Winner
  • New England Local Section of OSA (NESOSA), USA - Local Section Winner
2014
  • Stanford Optical Society, USA - Large Chapter Winner
  • Wroclaw University of Technology OSA Student Chapter, Poland - Small Chapter Winner
  • National Capital Section of OSA, USA - Local Section Winner
2013
  • Duke University OSA Student Chapter, USA - Large Chapter Winner
  • Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon OSA Student Chapter, Mexico - Small Chapter Winner
  • Optical Society of Southern California (OSSC), USA - Local Section Winner
2012
  • Stanford Optical Society, USA - Large Chapter Winner
  • University of São Paulo - IFSC OSA Student Chapter - Small Chapter Winner
  • New England Section of OSA, USA - Local Section Winner
2011
  • University of Arizona Student Optics Chapter (SOCk), USA - Large Chapter Winner
  • Karlsruhe Institute of Technology OSA Student Chapter (OSKar), Germany - Small Chapter Winner
  • National Capital Section of OSA, USA - Local Section Winner
2010
  • University of Southampton OSA Student Chapter, United Kingdom - Large Chapter Winner
  • Universidad de Salamanca OSA Student Chapter (OSAL), Spain - Small Chapter Winner
  • Optical Society of Southern California (OSSC), USA - Local Section Winner
2009
  • University of Southampton OSA Student Chapter, United Kingdom - Large Chapter Winner
  • Université Laval OSA Student Chapter, Canada - Small Chapter Winner
  • New England Section of OSA (NESOSA), USA - Large Section Winner
  • Reno-Tahoe Optical Society , USA- Small Section Winner
2008
  • Institute of Radiophysics and Electronics OSA Student Chapter, Ukraine - Large Chapter Winner
  • Moscow State University OSA Student Chapter, Russia - Small Chapter Winner
  • New England Section of OSA (NESOSA), USA - Large Section Winner
  • Long Island Local Section of OSA, USA - Small Section Winner
2007
  • University of Southampton OSA Student Chapter, United Kingdom - Large Chapter Winner
  • École Polytechnique de Montréal OSA Student Chapter, Canada - Small Chapter Winner
2006
  • Institut de Ciències Fotòniques (ICFO) OSA Student Chapter, Spain< - Large Chapter Winner
  • École Polytechnique de Montréal OSA Student Chapter, Canada - Small Chapter Winner
2005
  • University of California, Irvine OSA Student Chapter, USA - Small Chapter Winner
  • Stanford University OSA Student Chapter, USA - Large Chapter Winner
2004
  • Sofia University OSA Student Chapter, Bulgaria - Large Chapter Winner
  • University of Rochester OSA Student Chapter, USA - Small Chapter Winner
  • National Capital Section of OSA - Large Section Winner
  • Greater St. Louis Local Section of OSA - Small Local Section Winner
Image for keeping the session alive