Members-Only Breakfast Briefing

Training Future Technicians, Scientists & Engineers: Planning Solutions for Tomorrow’s Talent Needs

May 9-10, 2007, Baltimore Convention Center, Baltimore, Maryland
Jointly Sponsored by OSA and AIP

Program Description

Many young professionals sought to enter the science and technology sectors during the boom of the late 1990s, but those that did exited during the downturn years that followed.  In the U.S., the most recent boom prior to this was in the 1950s and 1960s. Many from that that era are part of today’s workforce and will retire over the next decade. Given these workforce changes, the science community demographics indicate a decreasing technical labor pool in the years ahead.  Businesses and academe engaged in the sciences need to come together to address this looming challenge.  Through partnerships, they can foster opportunities focused on workforce development. Engaging, educating, and developing the current and next generation of business and science leaders will help maintain the scientific talent required to keep R&D and businesses thriving.

“… many individuals in the S&E [science and engineering] labor force will retire in the coming decades. In 2003, 13% of S&E bachelor's degree holders, 20% of master's degree holders, and 28% of doctorate holders were 55 years old or older. Historically, by age 61 about half of the bachelor's degree holders no longer work full time; the same is true at age 62 for those with master's degrees and at age 64 for doctorate holders.” – Source: Science and Engineering Educators 2006

This program provides a unique forum where companies will share efforts to cultivate desirable skills in the science, math, and engineering arenas.  This includes community outreach programs, partnerships with local universities, internships/fellowships, and corporate universities.  The “success stories” presented in this forum will provide a starting dialogue for the business leaders in the science community, so they can develop their future employees and secure their bottom line results.

“There are more than 37 million Americans age 65 or older...by 2040 the number of Americans 65 or older is expected to have doubled.”  Source: Social Security Statement dated 3/21/07

Anyone involved with the strategic planning behind professional development, community outreach, or workforce development should plan to attend.  In addition, companies who seek to discuss these challenges during this informative and interactive session should bring questions for the panel and others in attendance.

Moderator

Howard Rudzinsky, Senior Vice President, Louis Rudzinsky Associates

Since 1968, Louis Rudzinsky Associates (LRA) has specialized in Search, Recruitment, Placement, and Consulting in Optics, Lasers, and Photonics in North America.  Howard joined LRA in 1984, concentrating his efforts on providing recruitment, placement, and search services to the Photonics Community on a nationwide basis. Since that time, Howard has helped numerous Optical and Photonics client organizations satisfy their difficult staffing requirements. Howard's experience in Photonics includes an extensive variety of applications including both commercial and government oriented. Whether the client is a younger emerging organization, or a more established organization, Howard has provided recruitment and placement services encompassing professionals at all levels from technician to the most senior level management. Howard's experience includes extensive involvement in: Optics Fabrication/Manufacturing, components and systems, Electro Optical devices and systems, commercial and military applications, Fiber Optics, telecom and non-telecom applications, Laser devices and systems, Optoelectronics, Imaging, and Instrumentation. As a result of his/LRA's extensive experience and accomplishment in Photonics, clients are able to draw on a wealth of resources, including industrial, academic and affiliate to satisfy their requirements in a timely, cost-effective fashion. Concurrently, Howard has worked equally hard to advance the careers of thousands of professionals. Photonics Professionals benefit from Howard's industry knowledge, experience, and contacts, resulting in solid career advice that leads to career advancement and professional growth and development.  Howard Rudzinsky received his MBA from Northeastern University and his Bachelor's degree from the University of Rochester.

Speakers

Thomas Feist, Manager, Thin Films Lab, General Electric Global Research

Tom currently manages the Thin Films Laboratory in Micro and Nano Structures Technologies at GE Global Research.  He began his career at GE in 1996 as a materials scientist working in energy storage, dielectric materials development, and next generation data storage.  Before coming to GE, Tom spent 5 years as a staff scientist at Dupont in Wilmington, DE.  In 1999, Tom was appointed Technical Manager of Global Media programs in GE Plastics, where he led a team responsible for the development and implementation of new technology for high density optical and magnetic data storage.  In February of 2003, Tom was named Manager of the Thin Films Lab, which is developing new technology in areas such as flat panel detectors for medical x-ray imaging, wide-area thin film deposition for flexible electronics, and novel semiconductor devices based on nanostructured materials.  Tom holds 14 patents and has authored numerous papers in the fields of materials science, solid state chemistry, and data storage. He received his B.A. degree in Chemistry from Williams College in 1985. He received his Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania in 1991.

M. Roman Hachkowski, Director, Laser Fusion Optics, Zygo Corporation
Zygo Corporation: Attracting, Developing and Retaining Optics Manufacturing Technicians (PDF, 661 KB)

In his current position at Zygo Corporation, Roman is the Director of Laser Fusion Optics. In this capacity, he has both an operational role overseeing a manufacturing facility for laser fusion optics and a business responsibility for laser fusion optic products.  Roman began his career at Payload Systems, Inc. of Cambridge MA where he was Hardware Development Manager for numerous space-flight programs. While at Payload Systems, he received a NASA Group Achievement award for the Middeck O-Gravity Dynamics Experiment. He left Payload Systems to continue his education at the University of Colorado, Boulder as a NASA Graduate Fellow. Completing his doctorate studies, he joined the Raytheon Corporation in Danbury, CT as a Senior Physics Engineer and progressed rapidly to the position of Program Manager.  Raytheon was purchased by Goodrich Corporation, where Roman remained until the time he joined Zygo Corporation.  While at Goodrich, Roman was promoted into a Senior Program Manager position.  Throughout his career, Roman has had full responsibility for the development of new optical manufacturing processes and optical system technologies. In addition, he has been awarded both US and international patents for large diameter deployable optical system designs.  Roman received a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics and Astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a Masters of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Colorado, and a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Larry Schwartz, University Relations - Schlumberger Ltd.; Scientific Advisor, Schlumberger-Doll Research
Technology Development in Schlumberger - Challenges and Opportunities (PDF, 2.1 MB)

Dr. Schwartz majored in Physics at the City College of New York and received his Ph.D in Physics from Harvard University.  He remained at Harvard as a Post-Doctoral research associate until February 1972 when he joined the Physics Department at Brandeis University. In 1976 he was promoted to the rank of Associate Professor with tenure.  In August of 1982 he accepted a position with Schlumberger-Doll Research where he holds the rank of Scientific Advisor and is now the Manager of Schlumberger’s Worldwide University Relations Program.  Effective July 1, 2007, Dr. Schwartz will be a Visiting Scientist in the Department of Earth Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences at MIT.  While at Schlumberger, Dr Schwartz has held a number of scientific and management positions.  In 1994 he took a sabbatical at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.  He has served as a Director of the Schlumberger Foundation and on the Steering Committee of the American Physical Society (APS) Panel on Public Affairs.  He has also served on Industrial Advisory Boards at Rice, Penn State and Louisiana State Universities, the University of Houston, and Heriot-Watt University.  He is currently a member of the Executive Committee of the APS Forum on Industrial and Applied Physics.

Schedule

Attendees are also invited to an evening reception on Wednesday, May 9 at
5:00 pm-6:30 pm at the Baltimore Convention Center.

Registration

This invitation-only program is complimentary to all employees of OSA and AIP Corporate Associate Members (limit of 3 attendees per company, limited space available).  Please RSVP before Tuesday, May 1, 2007 by email to the AIP Director of Industrial Outreach, Jerry Hobbs at jhobbs@aip.org or call 301.209.3159.

Questions

If you have any questions, please contact Jerry Hobbs at the contact information listed above or Allison Reznick, OSA Senior Manager Corporate Relations at arezni@osa.org or 202.416.1987.